Sustainability might sound intimidating or challenging. Often, the idea of living a less wasteful life sounds complicated and out of reach for most people. However, there are several easy things that you can do in order to make yourself less wasteful. These swaps require an initial cost but make up for it quickly in the number of uses and quickly become less expensive than the more wasteful version. Here are some easy swaps for people who are interested in living a more sustainable life or those that have never before thought about the wastefulness of their lifestyle.
1. Reusable Water Bottle
Now, I know what you are thinking. Of course you use a reusable water bottle, what else would you use? However, you would be shocked by the sheer amount of waste that is caused by plastic water bottles each year. Many people do not even think about bringing a reusable water bottle to places and once they get there, they think nothing of picking up a plastic one. This is a very big problem.
Image by Wix of plastic bottles that have been used.
Even if you do recycle the water bottle instead of throwing it into the trash, many of those bottles do not actually get recycled. This happens for many reasons. It can happen if you put something inside the bottle. This is considered contamination and recycling facilities do not accept it. Recycling also needs to be considered valuable in order for the recycling facility to recycle it. If no one buys it, it is thrown into a landfill. Plastic bottles also cost more money than simply bringing a reusable bottle from home. Many people already have one lying around.
2. Reusable towels
Many people buy paper towels for their home every month like clockwork. They think nothing of throwing 12 rolls into their cart at the grocery store. However, this use of paper towels is unnecessary and can cause many issues for the environment. Paper towels require the use of trees and water to create. Each roll requires an extravagant amount of resources and the companies who make them create heavy carbon emissions through producing and shipping them. They are also made of organic materials which causes a problem in landfills because they are suffocated in a plastic bag and this causes them to off gas methane, a greenhouse gas.
Image from Unsplash of dish towels.
Most people have dish towels laying around. If you use those to dry your hands or wipe off your counters, a lot of waste can be avoided. Plus, if you are not buying paper towels every month, you are also saving money!
3. Ceramic plates
This swap might be a strange idea for some people. They might think it is obvious or maybe, it is something they already do without thinking about it. However, a lot of people use paper plates to eat their meals. Then, when they are done, they cannot do anything but throw them away. The food that is left on the plate means that a recycling center will not accept them. They break down in landfills and are left to rot. Most times, they are only used once before they end up in the garbage.
Image of ceramic plates and bowls by Unsplash.
Many people already have ceramic, reusable plates in their cabinets. Even if they do not, they are ebay to get for a small cost that ends up getting you a product that you can use and keep for years. Paper plates are a drain on money and although ceramic plates can have a higher original cost, they save you money in the long run.
These are simple, easy swaps that anyone can do in their life. I hope that you take these ideas into account the next time you reach for a paper towel or plate. These swaps stop waste and save money.