Sustainable living has gained popularity, with more people searching for ways to do their part to help the environment while living a healthier lifestyle. Embracing a healthier, more sustainable life that reduces your environmental impact can be a fulfilling journey. The good news is that it can be started at any age, and there are many easy things you can do to improve your way of life and make your home more sustainable.
Living a more sustainable lifestyle can help you develop a relationship with nature, connect with your community and improve your mental and physical health. Additionally, sustainable living can help you produce less waste, reduce your expenses and even downsize. We’re exploring sustainable living strategies for seniors and practical tips to help you create a sustainable home.
The way we interact with the environment and the impact of our choices has become a popular discussion in the 21st century, and more and more people have a desire to live a more environmentally friendly life. Sustainable living means changing the habits of our daily lives to reduce our environmental footprint and make better choices with the planet's health in mind.
Adopting a more sustainable way of living can give people a sense of purpose and encourage them to reduce clutter and spend more time outdoors.
People who are considering changing their lifestyle may be concerned they’ll have to make burdensome changes to their everyday life. But the reality is that you don’t need to overhaul your life to make more sustainable choices. Even small changes, such as turning off the lights, composting or using reusable bags, can make a difference.
Where can you get started on your sustainable living journey? Here are some practical ideas you can implement:
Optimizing your home to conserve energy and water can reduce your carbon footprint and also potentially result in long-term savings. One of the easiest upgrades you can make so your home is more energy efficient is to use Energy Star-certified appliances. This certification indicates an appliance meets or exceeds efficiency standards.
To take this a step further, unplug electronics when not in use to conserve energy. Another easy upgrade is to use LED light bulbs, which use much less energy, last longer and even provide better lighting quality.
To reduce water consumption in your home, turn off the water when washing dishes or brushing your teeth, and take shorter showers. To take this a step further, install low-flow faucets, showerheads and toilets, which will maintain water pressure and conserve water. Also, remember to fix leaky faucets. Over time, even small leaks can waste large amounts of water.
One of the top concerns in the U.S. is whether landfills will run out of space, which is why waste reduction to decrease the amount of waste that’s dumped into landfills is so important.
The first step in waste reduction is to decrease the amount of goods purchased and used by buying only what you need and avoiding excessive amounts of packaging. Utilize reusable shopping bags, purchase items in bulk to cut down on packaging and avoid styrofoam and single-use plastics, such as utensils and straws.
The next step is to reuse what you can. For example, upgrade to reusable and sturdy food containers rather than disposable ones and repurpose household items, such as using old T-shirts you don’t wear anymore as rags. These practices not only eliminate a lot of waste but also help you save money!
Next, recycle as much as you can, such as plastic water bottles and paper materials. Better yet, instead of purchasing bottled water, save money and reduce your use of plastics by purchasing a reusable water bottle that you can refill.
Lastly, compost what you can. This has several benefits: You’ll be cutting down on trash while also creating nutrient-rich soil for gardening and avoiding chemical fertilizers to feed your garden soil. To compost, you’ll need a bin and a good location in a dry spot. Items that can be composted include:
To compost materials, you’ll need 2-3 parts of brown material and one part of green material. Then, add water to keep the items moist. About once a month, you’ll need to mix up or turn your compost pile.
First, be mindful of the items and foods you’re consuming. Buying local and seasonal produce reduces transport emissions and supports your local economy. Plus, the food spends less time traveling to make its way to the grocery store, so mineral and vitamin content remains intact, making this a healthy and sustainable choice! To easily find produce that’s in season, go to your local farmers markets or start your own garden using our composting tips above. To find out what’s in season based on your state and month, explore this seasonal food guide.
When you’re evaluating your shopping practices, it’s also critical to consider clothing consumption. The fashion industry creates a lot of waste by frequently producing new clothing to follow trends and then selling it at a low price. While purchasing items at a low price can feel like a good deal, they may not be the best quality. Research shows that low-price clothing is often treated as disposable and discarded after about seven wears. Discarded clothing often ends up in landfills or bodies of water, which pollutes the ecosystem.
There are a few ways you can help address this problem. First, make sure you take good care of your clothing. If something no longer fits or it’s no longer your style, donate it instead of throwing it away. If you’re purchasing new clothing, start by looking for secondhand items or clothes with an ecolabel or acknowledgment that it’s made with recycled materials.
Getting your community involved in sustainable living efforts can help you meet others with similar interests, exchange ideas and work together toward a common goal. These groups can also help you get the word out about sustainable living and allow others to see the ease with which it can be done without overhauling one’s lifestyle.
Some ways you can make an impact within your community include:
Joining local environmental organizations: These groups frequently put together neighborhood cleanups, educational workshops and special events, such as those to plant trees.
Participating in community gardening initiatives: Meet new people and stay active by getting involved in community gardening initiatives that can support sustainable food production.
Volunteering: Help with projects such as environmental education initiatives, wildlife conservation and habitat restoration.
Using other forms of transportation: Reduce carbon footprint by walking, using public transport or carpooling to minimize emissions.
Mindfully utilizing and recycling electronics is critical to avoiding greenhouse gas emissions, water pollution and air pollution. To mindfully use and recycle your electronics, only upgrade your devices when necessary instead of when a new version is released, which is especially common with smartphones. When disposing of old electronics, make sure to recycle them through e-waste programs after deleting all of your personal information from the device.
When you’re purchasing new devices, buy refurbished items when possible. Purchasing refurbished items may save you money and also reduce waste by extending the lifespan of the device.
To reduce energy consumption on your devices, turn down the brightness of your screen and utilize sleep mode when not in use. Also, make sure to regularly review digital files and delete unnecessary ones to reduce your storage needs.
Rightsizing can significantly help reduce maintenance costs, water usage, energy consumption and more, contributing to a more sustainable way of living. Some communities, such as Life Plan Communities (also known as continuing care retirement communities or CCRCs) take this a step further.
At HumanGood, we’ve undertaken several sustainable living initiatives across many of our communities, including adding solar panels, creating energy-efficient communal buildings and water wise plans, reducing food waste and greenhouse gas emissions across our communities, creating shared transportation networks and utilizing technology to help buildings run more efficiently.
Our sustainability practices also further encourage residents to work together to volunteer and give back by gardening, planting trees and cleaning up local areas, such as parks, around the community.
Rightsizing has plenty of benefits that lead to a more sustainable lifestyle, and it can also help reduce clutter, decrease the amount of time spent cleaning and organizing and create a home that reflects your lifestyle while giving you more time to focus on pursuing your passions and interests.
Wondering if it might be time to rightsize your life? Take our free, four-minute quiz today.