8 Habits to Build a More Sustainable Life

Our world is changing quickly and there are estimates that our population will grow by two billion by 2050.  That’s 25% more people within 25-30 years.  The current population already uses resources at an alarming rate and we are destroying our home with chemicals, micro-plastics, and the unending pressure on global ecosystems through overfishing, deforestation, and our industrial agricultural practices.

One of the larger issues, in my mind, is the looming question of whether or not humanity can pull together to address all the other issues.  Not only is change difficult, even during the good times, but with rising tribalism and xenophobia, the prospect of people cooperating at the level necessary to change course can seem unimaginable.  I don’t think we have a choice, however, so, I think a dose of optimism is necessary. Even if it feels trite or pointless some days, I think taking steps as though we’ll have it figured out at some point in the near future is the right frame of mind, because that may well be the case.  In that spirit of “we got this”, I put together this list of 8 things we can try to do to help move towards a more sustainable world.

1. Use a personal shopping bag.  We’ve heard this suggestion for years, and it’s hardly earth-shattering.  I like this because it’s simple. People use hundreds of bags in a year and every plastic bag not used is one less bag in the landfill. The other reason I like this is that it helps build a mindset that we don’t need everything to be ultra-convenient.  We can think ahead a little bit and reduce our impact without a major effort.  It’s a habit that can snowball into other habits.
2. Reduce use. Expanding on the first step, we can find products using less single-use plastic, like packaging and bottles, or cups, plates, and utensils.  This includes take-out foods in styrofoam or plastic containers.  This can be expanded to include single-use toys, decorations, or gag-gifts. Any other item we can get by without or will only use for a short timeframe.  Even the items that get put into the recycling bin rarely actually get recycled.  Estimates say only about 20% of plastic bottles, one of the most common items put into recycling bins, are recycled into something new.
3. Compost.  Expanding on the second step with an additional way to reduce landfill usage.  Placing kitchen scraps and even some paper or cardboard in a compost pile, or bin, is a great way to boost sustainability.  Organic food scraps don’t break down in a landfill the same as they do in a compost pile, and it comes down to oxygen levels.  A landfill is an oxygen-poor environment, and so organic scraps break down in an anaerobic process that creates more methane.  Composting breaks down and creates CO2, but CO2 is much less effective as a greenhouse gas when compared to methane, by a factor of 25.  In addition, considering food waste makes up nearly a quarter of our landfill volume, moving that to a compost pile saves space in the landfill, and you use fewer trash bags (also probably plastic).  Less food waste, in general, also means less energy used to grow and ship that food.
4. Buy organic/local.  The benefits of organic foods include the reduction of pesticide and synthetic fertilizer use, the overall better taste of organics, as well as healthier soil and ecosystems. Semi-trucks get around 6-7 mpg.  So, the less your food, and other goods, travels, the fewer greenhouse gases and pollutants will be produced.  Trains are between 4 and 7 times more efficient than trucks, but there are always trucks involved at some stage.  Buying local goods also helps keep your local economy more resilient.
5. Reuse/Repair/Recycle.  Some of the earlier tips dealt with reducing what we use, but what can we do to help with the things we still need to have?  Reusing items, even just to give them a brief second life, helps reduce buying something new. Repairing items before considering tossing them and buying something new is also worthwhile.  Online videos and DIY sites are incredibly helpful in this.  You can also try finding a local business that does repairs, refinishes furniture, etc.  This is another way to keep dollars local.  If you just have to throw it out, check what you can recycle.  Recycling is a last resort and often things will still end out in the landfill even when we take them to a recycling center.
6. Buy more native plants.  Native plants help wildlife, especially our pollinators, but also birds and other critters.  Birds need thousands of caterpillars to raise each brood.  Those caterpillars feed on plants, and different caterpillars co-evolved to require nutrients from specific plants.  So, a variety of native plants, that don’t have pesticides sprayed on them, are required to supply food for insects, which in turn supply food for birds.  It takes effort to learn about different plants, and they aren’t always easy to find in nurseries.  Whatever you can do to move in this direction is helpful.
7. Install a programmable thermostat.  Heating and cooling account for about half of the average home’s energy use.  Anything we can do to make this more efficient will be a big step.  A programmable thermostat can help prevent unnecessary heating and cooling at times when people typically aren’t home or help your system stay within an acceptable range of temperatures.
8. Get involved. There are so many ways we can find to be involved in our community, and we can choose whatever level we’re comfortable with.  Getting involved includes keeping up with politics, helping local groups, or getting some conversations going with friends and family.  Political action is tedious and slow work, but we can all make some extra effort to try to keep up with bills and policies at the local and state level, to make sure our governments are moving us in a more sustainable direction.  Plenty of local groups help with sustainability initiatives, and this can be roadside trash pickup, trail maintenance, helping with local food networks and markets, removing invasive plants, and anything else that helps strengthen the community. Being involved helps build community resilience and a sense that we are invested in its success, which we are.  We can also help spread the word about what we’re learning by having conversations with those we care about.  You never know when a seed takes root and they end up finding their own way to make changes as well.

The actions we can take are not limited to these, of course.  The important part is that we all begin, or continue, taking steps to find ways to live that keep us connected to, rather than separated from, the environment that we rely on for survival.