How to Live Sustainably Without Making Sacrifices

By now, it should come as no surprise why you should be living a sustainable life. Around the globe in 2016, we generated 2.01 billion tonnes of solid waste, and we currently use about 40% more resources every year than we put back. Change needs to happen and it needs to be done now. We need to work alongside our Earth, not against it.

It can be overwhelming to think of all the changes that need to be done in the world to make it more sustainable. But the best way to start is simply by adjusting your lifestyle habits to make sure they’re as sustainable as they can be.

Here are simply ways you can introduce sustainability into your life without having to make too many changes.

Reduce, Reuse and Recycle
This traditional mantra is no less relevant today than it was decades ago. Instead of using disposable items, look for more sustainable alternatives to reduce wastage. For example, replace paper towel usage with kitchen cloths. Reuse items by thinking of ways you can give it a ‘second-life’, for example keeping condiment jars for storage. Finally, recycling is a last-resort option that is more beneficial to the environment than putting it in general waste bins.

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The vibrant tones of cup components from our Originals range, ready for hand-assembly in our warehouse. #KeepCup

A post shared by KeepCup (@keepcup) on Sep 1, 2020 at 1:12am PDT

Buy a Keep-Cup
A classic and popular trend, if there’s only one thing you take from this list then let it be this. Think of how many times a month you buy a coffee. Replacing those paper cups with just one cup is one of the easiest but most effective ways you can live sustainably every day. KeepCup has an array of different styles and patterns to suit anybody.

Buy Second-Hand
Not only a great way to save money, but thrifting is a great way to reduce wastage. You can either find gems at these places, or pass on your own things to op shops, Facebook Marketplace, Depop or even just clothes swap pages on social media. Also giving away clothes to donation bins are a great way to pass on things that you don’t want anymore.

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A post shared by S P E L L (@spell) on Jul 18, 2020 at 4:59pm PDT

Support Sustainable Brands
There are many businesses turning away from fast fashion and looking at ways to reduce their environmental impacts. It’s important to support these brands to not only allow them to continue their great work, but to also encourage other brands to start following suit. You can find some great sustainable swimwear labels here – perfect for the summer.

Always Use Reusable Bags
On average, people go grocery shopping roughly twice a week. By simply remembering to take your reusable grocery bags, you’ll be minimising plastic usage that ends up in our waterways and kills animals. It is estimated that plastic ingestion kills 1 million marine birds and 100,000 marine animals each year. You should also look at cutting out plastic wherever you can – such as through single-use water bottles, straws and always opting for sustainable packaging.

You may not feel as though your impact is doing a lot, but it is. Without people engaging in the aforementioned behaviours, our Earth is only going to be hit harder and harder. Start influencing people around you and start modifying your everyday routine to live a more sustainable life.