Living sustainably is not as difficult as many think. It often takes getting used to. We have tips and tricks that are easy to implement in everyday life.
Many of us are aware that sustainability is a big and important topic. But what exactly does it mean to live sustainably? What can you do in everyday life? Sustainability has many facets: it includes, for example, tackling air pollution, producing less plastic waste, not wasting food and preserving biodiversity. Everyone can live sustainably and thus make a very personal contribution to conserving resources and preserving nature.
Living sustainably: Tips for the kitchen and household
Just in the household There are a few things you can do to live sustainably. This usually requires a little adjustment, but the effectiveness does not suffer from the alternatives, nor does it take significantly more time to follow the tips. In addition to new routines, it is also helpful to buy sustainable kitchen gadgets – they do a good job and conserve resources. So two birds with one stone. In addition, you can consider the following things if you want to live sustainably:
washing machine and dishwasher
Washing machines and dishwashers usually consume quite a lot of energy and water – depending on the model. Therefore, it makes sense to actually use them to fill up, so that the water and energy consumption pays off. When doing laundry, the following also applies: it is better to wash at low temperatures and then let the clothes air dry. It is also worth paying a visit to washing machines washing egg, which can be used for up to 100 or sometimes 200 washes. This not only saves waste, but also money in the end.
electricity
Coal or nuclear power is harmful to the environment. The better and more climate-friendly alternative is Green electricity from renewable energies such as wind, sun or water. Find out more and switch providers. Most of the time it doesn’t make a big difference from a financial point of view. It’s usually even cheaper.
Household products instead of chemical cleaning products
Most cleaning supplies from the supermarket come in plastic packaging and are used up fairly quickly. Calculated over a year, huge mountains of plastic waste are created. This need not be. baking soda (Sodium hydrogen carbonate) is a real secret weapon in the household – and usually comes in a paper bag. For example, it can be used as an oven cleaner, as a bath additive or as a pipe cleaner.
do things yourself
The homemade version is often better than the store-bought one. You can use many cleaning products do it yourself and thus saves unnecessary waste. Home remedies are usually no less effective. Smaller pieces of furniture such as stools or side tables can also be built from things that are no longer needed. Be creative and conserve resources. Homemade furniture is also much more individual than run-of-the-mill pieces from the trade. And you’re still proud of it.
Save energy when cooking
If you boil water in a pot, you use less energy if you put the lid on. Smaller amounts of water are best boiled in a kettle, larger amounts of water in a saucepan – and then best with lid. Another tip: If you have leftover food that you want to eat the next day, you should definitely let it cool down before you put it in the fridge. Otherwise the refrigerator will use more energy to bring itself back to the usual temperature.
oven
Preheating the oven for a long time uses energy. So if you can, avoid it. Also, do not use classic baking paper. This has to be disposed of in the residual material because it is coated with Teflon. is better sustainable baking paper substitute. There are also reusable parchment paperthat you can even put in the dishwasher.
Reuse household helpers
If you want to live sustainably, you can say goodbye to paper towels in the kitchen, for example. These go through just fine washable cloth towels substitute. There are now even washable kitchen rolls. Of course, reusable straws are also useful. Those who like to drink filter coffee can do it best Stainless steel coffee filter use to avoid the waste of disposable paper filters. And: Capsule coffee is of course not a good option if you want to live sustainably. If you absolutely want to use it, then it’s best to go with it reusable capsuleswhich you fill yourself.
Living sustainably: Tips for the bathroom
Especially in the bathroom, many can live even more sustainably. Disposable products are often used there, which create large amounts of waste. There are many great sustainable basics for the bathroom that you can use. And these tips can also be implemented in everyday life:
Showering instead of bathing
You save water and, above all, a lot of energy if you take a shower instead of a bath. And also not letting the water run when soaping or shampooing. In addition, it makes sense to take a cold showerif you want to live sustainably. This also has the advantage that you strengthen your immune system.
Make your own personal hygiene items
As in the kitchen and household, it is also worth doing things yourself in the bathroom. natural Toothpaste without microplastics and without plastic packaging you can make it yourself. But also toothpaste tablets are a good alternative that can be bought in jars or paper in bulk stores or online. You can also make peelings yourself, for example from coffee grounds, sugar and oil – and then display them decoratively in the glass.
Shampoo and shower gel in one piece
Shampoo and shower gel cause quite a lot of unnecessary packaging waste over the course of a year. Vegetable bar soap is the more sustainable alternative. You can store hair soap and the like in a net or in a metal can.
Reuse cotton pads
If you do without single-use products in the bathroom, you already live more sustainably and produce less waste. Reusable and washable cotton pads are a great alternative. They are effective and you can use them again and again. It’s best to have a few in the closet that you can wash together.
Living sustainably: tips for shopping
Especially when shopping, there is often still a lot of potential to make your everyday life more sustainable. Because you can save a lot of waste and avoid unnecessary purchases. These tips will also help if you want to live sustainably:
Take a cloth bag or backpack with you
Anyone who knows they’re heading to the grocery store should always have a reusable and washable one jute bag or a backpack have along. This saves unnecessary bag purchases and thus waste.
Reusable fruit and vegetable net
If you know that vegetables and fruit are also needed, you should reusable mesh pack for this to do without the plastic bags in the supermarket. They create avoidable waste.
glass instead of plastic
If you want to live sustainably, you should make sure that you cause as little waste as possible when shopping. In many supermarkets there are Groceries in deposit jars, which can be returned after use. Even better are zero-waste stores, which don’t sell plastic-wrapped groceries at all. There you can shop armed with glasses and containers and pack loose groceries as needed.
Avoid microplastics and palm oil
Microplastics in the sea are one of the biggest environmental problems. In fact, not only does the decomposition of large pieces of plastic have something to do with it, but our cosmetic products in the bathroom also play their part. For palm oil, on the other hand, rainforest is destroyed. If you want to live sustainably, when you go shopping you should buy products that neither cause microplastics in the sea nor contain palm oil. Apps like “CodeCheck” can help with that. This scans products and shows whether they contain questionable substances.
Shop according to need
If you want to live sustainably, you should of course counteract the widespread food waste. To make your contribution, you should exact plan with the things you really need. You should always check which perishable foods you have at home and what you really need for cooking and living. If possible, always freeze or otherwise use food that you don’t need in the end.
More tips for living sustainably
- If there is a possibility, dear recycled products buy: whether printing paper, toilet paper or fashion made from recycled materials.
- Speaking of Fashion: Here it is worthwhile more minimalist to think and follow the principle of the capsule wardrobe if you want to live sustainably. If you reduce your own consumption, you conserve resources. When buying clothes, you can either go for second-hand items or buy high-quality, preferably fairly produced pieces that you can wear for a long time.
- There is also sustainability in areas where you wouldn’t expect it: you can, for example assure “green”. or switch to a bank that cares about sustainability. This also contributes to living sustainably.
- Also, always prefer that bicycle take than drive a car. Or get on the train.
- Mow flower meadows instead of lawns: If you let the lawn grow and nature do its thing, you promote it biodiversity. Where there are more insects, there are more birds.
- Grow your own food: Not only those who have a garden can grow food. Plant tomatoes – this also works on the balcony. Also Peppers, cucumbers and herbs taste better from our own cultivation than from the discounter. In addition, you can be proud of it and it is also insect-friendly.
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