5 simple changes to be more sustainable.

Every journey, no matter how great, begins with one step, and living more sustainably is no different. There are some simple yet very effective changes you can make inside your home to immediately start making an impact.

1. Switch all the light bulbs to LED equivalents. It is a very simple and inexpensive change that can immediately save you money on your electricity bill and on bulb replacement in the future. In fact, LEDs bulbs are the longest lasting of all types of bulbs on the market. Simple, non color changing LED light bulbs are about the same price as halogen or incandescent and last a lot longer.

2. Switch to a Swedish Dish Cloth. Cleaning our homes is tedious and sometimes very costly for our budget and the environment. The Swedish Dish cloth is a great reusable and long lasting substitute for single use paper towels. Compared to a fabric cloth, the Swedish one will not trap dirt or end up with particles stuck in the woven fibers, making it far more hygienically safe than regular cleaning cloths. It’s capable of absorbing a lot of liquid and it is super easy to rinse out and keep on cleaning.

3. Choose paper bags or reusable bags instead of plastic when you shop. Paper is a significantly more environmentally friendly material to recycle compared to plastic. Paper bags have come a long way and we don’t have to worry about them ripping and breaking about half way walk between the store and the car anymore. Reusable shopping bags are very affordable now, and they last for a very long time (I have had the same reusable bags for grocery for the past 8 years). You even have the option to make reusable fabric bags out of old t-shirts using just a pair of scissors (here is a good tutorial).

4. Switch to a reusable straw. Switching to a silicone straw (heat and cold resistant, and even anti-bacterial) has become an very inexpensive change that can cost less than a dollar per straw. Personally, I feel that silicone is an easier and more portable material for reusable straws than metal or glass, but there are different options out there depending on your preference.

5. Use cleaning products that offer refills rather than single use spray bottles. A lot of companies right now offer the option of buying a big refill bottle of product that you can pour into the spray bottle you have already purchased. Most major brands have this option available on most convenient stores. There are a few refill systems like this one that reduce the amount of plastic that gets recycled and the cleaner itself it’s more environmentally friendly. You also have the option to make your own cleaners using empty spray bottles and buying simple ingredients available in most places. Find recipes and cost analysis in my “DIY cleaning products” blog post. This brand sells a glass bottle with several different cleaning recipes printed on the bottle that will even measure ingredients for you.