As the impact that human activity is having on the planet becomes daily news, hitting the headlines time and time again, growing numbers of us are now trying to find ways to lead more sustainable lives, reducing the amount of waste we create and really thinking about what our individual choices actually mean for Mother Earth.

Living more sustainably is certainly a journey and you’ll probably find that it’s best to start off quite small, making little changes here and there so that you can gradually build a long-lasting cycle of behaviour.

If you try to do it all at once, you’ll likely find yourself overwhelmed with the scale of the challenges you face - and that could be paralysing, so you end up doing nothing at all!

But the good news is that starting your sustainable zero waste journey can be an awful lot of fun and you’re sure to find that you quickly become interested in discovering new and exciting products, concepts and ideas, local community groups, likeminded people and so on who can help make the transition easier. 

Here are a few ways you could start with right now to help you begin being more sustainable, without having to make any drastic changes to your lifestyle.

Get a zero waste starter kit

Make life very easy for yourself by investing in a kit that has all you need to kickstart your zero waste journey. Getting everything all in one go means you can hit the ground running, so look out for a kit that contains the likes of a stainless steel lunchbox and water bottle, reusable bamboo cutlery, reusable straws and so on.

In one fell swoop, you’re eliminating loads of single-use items from your life and will have already made a significant dent in your environmental footprint! Go you!

Start saving energy

Another really simple way to start helping the planet (and your back pocket!) is to think about how much energy you use at home and take action to reduce this as much as you can. 

Turning off lights when you’re not in the room, not leaving items on standby (apparently, this can actually save you up to 23 per cent on your bills!), turning the heating down and hanging your clothes out to dry instead of using your dryer will all help to conserve precious energy resources.

Grow your own!

A really enjoyable way to start embracing a more sustainable way of life is to start growing your own produce. Even if you don’t think you have very green fingers, it’s easy to start - and you don’t need a lot of space! 

Container gardens are perfect for fruit and veg, and you could even just use the window sills at home for small pots if you don’t have any outdoor space to speak of. 

Growing your own will help reduce the carbon footprint of your diet, as well as giving you the comforting thought that you’re not ingesting any nasty chemicals and pesticides (which also contribute to air and water pollution).

Save water

The water crisis is actually one of the biggest environmental challenges that the world now faces - although it’s the one that’s least discussed. Experts say that if we address the problem of water stress and scarcity around the world, the rest of the eco issues we’re being presented with would also be resolved!

You can start saving water at home by keeping a bottle of water in the fridge so you have constant access to cold drinking water, instead of having to run the tap each time. Turning off the tap while you’re brushing your teeth can save up to seven litres of water being wasted each and every time!

For your garden, think about installing water butts around and about so you can harvest rainwater and use that instead of the garden hose. Your plants will prefer this as well! And when it comes to doing the washing-up, always make sure the dishwasher is fully loaded each time you use it so you’re not wasting water unnecessarily.

Drive less

And, of course, we all know that driving is particularly bad for the planet, so you can help reduce your impact in this regard by cycling or walking instead of hopping in the car. Think about how you use your car - if you’re often driving for shorter distances, walking could be a great alternative… and you’ll be giving yourself a serious health boost at the same time!

We’d love to hear how you’re planning on making some sustainable lifestyle changes right now. Get in touch to let us know!