17 Beginner Tips To Living Green
Some links in this article may be affiliate links where I make a commission if the product is purchased at no cost to you. As an Amazon Influencer, I earn from qualifying purchases. To avoid waste, we test products on an as-needed basis. All opinions are my own.
It can be challenging to change your habits, but I’ve come up with 17 green living tips that are easy to change so you can start living green today. I am focused on providing you with easy ways to be environmentally friendly. I promise, nothing difficult here. Let’s start with the basics.
Here’s a quick summary if you can’t wait, and links to jump straight to each tip:
Tip #1 - Reusable Grocery Bags
Let’s focus just on groceries to start. Every time you go to the grocery store, bring your reusable bags. You probably have a bunch somewhere around your house because they are given out for free a lot.
I have two green tips within this tip:
—> Keep some bags by the door so you see them while grabbing your keys and wallet. Seeing them sitting there will be your reminder to bring them with you!
—> Keep some bags in your car at all times. If you did not see the bags by your keys and wallet and therefore did not bring them along, your backup plan is to have some in your car. 😊
Tip #2 - Turn Off Lights
Listen, I love bright areas, but let’s think about the Earth here. If it is not that dark, say it’s late in the day, you do not need the light on to use the toilet. Or to use the shower. So, think about whether you actually need the light on and try to stop the habit of turning it on every time you enter a room.
And the obvious, turn off all lights when you leave the room.
Tip #3 - Compost Food Scraps
I admit it; this one can be a little more complicated. I still struggle with it myself. But, it can be done in small amounts. First, find out if your city has a compost program. They may provide compost bins for you to do the composting, or they may pick up your compost weekly with your trash and other collections.
My city has provided all residents with a kitchen pale to collect scraps, and those scraps are to be put in our green trash bin with other plant materials that are collected weekly. Here is the issue: When you put food scraps in a kitchen pale, it can begin to rot. And collect flies. And maggots. Yuck.
So what are we to do? Well, I have the solution! Place your food scraps into a bag or container (reusable, of course!), and put it in your freezer. Continue to add to this same bag/container throughout the week. On trash day, take your frozen scraps and place them in your bin for collection. No smells and no maggots! So feel free to use the free kitchen pale from the city for something else…
Tip #4 - Recycled Toilet Paper
We use a ton of toilet paper every day. According to Cottonelle, “The average person uses 85 rolls of toilet paper per year (based on regular rolls of 150 sheets per), or nearly 13,000 sheets.” Yikes.
So, try recycled toilet paper. Be sure to check how much of the TP is actually created from recyclables. Bamboo is another option because it is the fastest-growing plant on earth. However, there are some concerns about bamboo being planted instead of other hardwood trees, impacting the biodiversity.
I recommend WhoGivesACrap recycled toilet paper. Use this link for $10 off.
Tip #5 - Swedish towels
I am not trying to be trendy, but Swedish dishcloths are all the talk of the town these days. And they can have pretty designs, too! These are obviously to replace the massive amount of paper towels used. Use your Swedish dishcloth like a paper towel, then throw it in the wash. Reuse reuse! They are super absorbent and dry quickly. And they are compostable. Enough said.
I found these Climate Pledge Friendly Swedish dishcloths on Amazon. This is an easy way to move toward green living.
Tip #6 - Collect Rainwater
Water conservation is a big part of living green and being sustainable. There are droughts all over the world. So, the more water that can be saved, the better. This year was a wetter year where I live, but it is inconsistent. So saving water is still valid.
To easily save some water, place something underneath your rain gutter openings to collect water. There are many barrels that can be purchased to do this. However, a bucket or tub or whatever you already have around also works great. I have an old tub that I use, and it fills up quickly - even from dew! I place this tub on a plant caddy to easily roll it to where I’d like to water. I have also used a smaller bucket to get some of the water out of the tub to take to parts of the garden that are further away that could use some water.
One thing I do not do is let the water sit in the open tub. This will become a breeding ground for mosquitoes! So, don’t do that.
Tip #7 - Shut Down Your Computer Every Day
Energy can be saved in multiple ways, and this helps save our natural resources. For those of us who use a computer each day for work, there is an easy way to save some energy: shut down your computer each day. A computer in sleep mode does not use much energy, but it does use some. Also, in general, computers left in sleep mode rather than being shut down tend to live a shorter life. Therefore, shutting down is best for our planet’s natural resources and your computer. (source: IGS Energy)
Tip #8 - Run a Fan
I get that it can be hot. Air Conditioning (AC) is such a great thing in those times. However, it doesn’t always have to be used. You can sometimes get the same benefits from a fan. Or sometimes, if the fan’s wind is pointed right at you, it feels better than AC! If it is warm, try using a fan in the room you are in before you jump to turn on the AC. Americans are known for their addiction to AC, but we don’t have to be. I have a ceiling fan in my bedroom, and on warm nights, I leave the window ajar to let in cooler air and have the fan running. Ahhh.
Tip #9 - Use a Reusable Water Bottle
This is one of the easiest and most socially accepted tips I can provide: use a reusable water bottle. There are so many cute or hardy water bottles to choose from I am sure you will find one you like. Stainless steel is my recommendation. If I am going to run errands, I fill one up and take it with me. If I am traveling by plane, I take an empty one and fill it up at a water station at the airport. Sometimes, you cannot bring your own, and the only option is to purchase a one-time-use water bottle, but try to remember your bottle for other times. Every one less single-use plastic bottle makes a difference.
Check out the Klean Kanteen, made using 90% recycled stainless steel, which has reduced their greenhouse gas emissions from stainless steel by 50%!
Tip #10 - Sign Up For Paperless Billing
In this digital world, it is easy to find your bills online or get an email reminder when one is due. This easy tip is to let your vendors/partners/utility companies know you want to sign up for paperless billing. You not only save paper, but the company saves on postage, and the postal service saves on the amount of mail to deliver. And all of this leads to a better planet for us.
In addition, some suppliers that have membership or ID cards (for example, AAA) have an option to decline the card and use an app instead! Consider all the savings in plastic cards if folks sign up for this option.
Tip #11 - Walk Instead of Drive
Sometimes, we can be addicted to our cars. I am definitely guilty and have driven from one side of the parking lot to the other. Maybe we can try to remember walking is good for us and driving is terrible for the planet. Try parking in the middle of the lot if you have two places to go in the center. Then you won’t be tempted to drive to the second location. If you can walk a longer distance to or from your destination, make it joyful: listen to a podcast, listen to the breeze in the trees, or walk to the beat of your favorite music. Find something that will make the trip enjoyable for you.
Tip #12 - Don’t Flush the Toilet
I don’t mean never flush the toilet! I mean, don’t always flush the toilet. If it’s yellow, let it mellow; if it is only urine and perhaps toilet paper, leave it be, close the lid, and flush it the next time you use that toilet. If you are in a public toilet, however, please flush every time.
Not flushing every time can save a ton of water. Toilets use about 1.3-1.6 gallons of water for each flush. So even if you save one flush a day (1.6 gallons), you would save 584 gallons a year. That is just YOU! So, if you don’t need to flush, don’t.
Tip #13 - Buy In Bulk
This tip may not be exactly clear without explanation: When you buy in bulk, ultimately, there is less packaging in total. So, if there is a product you always buy, consider buying it in bulk. This obviously works best if you have a place to store a large quantity. Buying in bulk will save on packaging (think, excess plastic and paper) and also save transportation costs with fewer trips to get or have the purchase delivered. And since you will buy more in the future anyway, you don’t run the risk of running out as often. It’s a win-win! However, determine if the product will go bad after a specific time period and if you will use all of the product before then.
Tip #14 - Use the Weekly Delivery Day from Amazon
Do you buy items regularly from Amazon? Then this tip is for you. When you check out from Amazon, it provides an option to deliver your item(s) on a specific day of the week. For example, let’s assume it is Wednesday, and your Amazon weekly delivery day is Monday. So, you purchase one item on Wednesday and choose to have it delivered on your weekly delivery day. Then, on Saturday, you buy two more items; they can also be delivered on your weekly delivery day of Monday. Now you have saved Amazon a trip to your house - and helped lower carbon emissions while doing so. Yay!
Tip #15 - Use a Broom Instead of a Hose
Sweep instead of wash
I love a clean patio, but what is the best way to have one? While using a hose and water will make your patio/driveway/sidewalk sparkling clean, consider using a broom and only use the water when absolutely necessary. A broom will get off most of the dirt, and enough so that you should feel like it is clean. Doing so will conserve our water resources. And if you need water for some outdoor cleaning, check back to Tip #6 and consider using some of the water you saved!
Tip #16 - Use Cloth Napkins
We, as a society, use so many paper products that can easily be switched to reusable products to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Napkins are one of those. Easily save some trees and our planet by using cloth, particularly linen (not cotton). In addition, you probably throw away paper napkins after every use, while when using cloth, you are likely to reuse it multiple times before washing. I tend to use my cloth napkins for a week before washing. This ensures cloth napkins produce fewer greenhouse gas emissions than paper napkins.
Bonus tip: When you go out to eat, bring your own linen napkin from home.
Try the Everly Linen Cloth Napkins.
Tip #17 - Buy Organic Cotton Clothing
As I mentioned in the last tip, you don’t want to go out and buy all cotton things. For clothing, the better alternative is organic cotton. First, organic cotton is of higher quality. Second, organic cotton is a lower-impact crop than traditional cotton and contributes to better soil health.
Stepping Green’s Organic Cotton Tee Shirt
One counterargument to organic cotton is that it requires more land to grow the same amount of cotton due to lower yields in the organic crop. This also means it requires more water. There are some trade-offs between the two. You need to verify the source of your organic cotton to ensure it is actually better for the planet than traditional cotton. To do this, check for either of these certifications, which are the gold standard: GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) or Textile Exchange’s OCS (Organic Content Standard).
Check out the Stepping Green organic cotton offerings here.
Conclusion
There are so many easy things that you can put into place without a lot of effort. I hope you consider the items on this list as you make your way to being more green. Bookmark the website to learn more environmental tips.
Do you have more tips to add that have helped you? Comment below!
