Life Hacks For Living Sustainably

Small changes can make a big difference in the sustainability of our world. Here are 9  easy life hacks for living sustainably:

1. Lemons clean stuff (and so does vinegar). Instead of buying cleaning products, make your own and save the environment, your wallet and your health. Don’t like lemons or vinegar? There are oodles of homemade house cleaning recipes.
2. Keep a tote bag in your closet. How many items of clothing have you outgrown or barely use? Fill up a tote bag and write a date on it by which you’ll donate all the clothes in the bag. If you don’t find yourself going into the bag and the date you originally picked has come and gone, donate the clothes to a local thrift store. Do yourself a favor and don’t open the bag (otherwise you might find yourself saying, “I might use this one day” and unnecessarily hold on to items you clearly don’t use).
3. Shop thrifty. Buying gently used clothes and decor not only saves you money, it also helps save the environment by reducing landfill waste and preventing the purchase (and associated production costs and energy) of a new item.
4. Eat what’s in season. Not only do fruits and veggies taste better when in season, but it’s a better value for you and for the planet. Check out what’s in season year round in North Carolina.
5. Plant something. Gardening is good for both you and the environment. Not sure where to start? Try a window herb garden and never buy pre-packaged herbs again!
6. Reuse water to feed thirsty plants. Have leftover water from cooking or washing hands? Water your house plants or garden. You can even collect the “warm-up” water from your shower in a bucket!
7. Reuse cardboard boxes as gift boxes. Take a cereal box, turn it inside out and tape it back together to make a birthday or holiday gift box! Try it with shoeboxes, too.
8. Reuse toilet paper rolls. Wall art, ornaments, organizers, oh my! Check out these amazing decor ideas using empty toilet paper rolls.
9. Utilize airplane mode. You don’t need to be on an airplane to take advantage of your cell phone’s airplane mode, which charges your phone faster and uses less energy.

Interested in even more ways to live sustainably? Check out these 77 ways to live green on a budget.

Image credit: Creative Commons via Wikipedia