Living more sustainably doesn’t require a total lifestyle overhaul. In fact, some of the most impactful eco-friendly habits come from small, intentional changes made consistently over time. By focusing on one simple change each month, you can build a greener lifestyle that feels doable—and sticks. Here’s are 12 simple changes for a more eco-friendly lifestyle.
Switch to reusable bags. If you do grocery pickup like me, you know they put about one thing in a bag and you end up with dozens of bags from one grocery trip. Swapping to reusable bags is such an easy thing to do! There are so many choices on what bags to use but chances are you can find some for free or cheap in a local buy nothing group or second hand store. If you are purchasing a few bags, I like this style because it’s easier to organize groceries in these.
Replace disposable water bottles. We should be drinking a lot of water and that can mean a lot of trash from water bottles! We have been using refillable water bottles for years! The kids all have one or two of their own bottles and they make them even more personal by adding some fun water bottle stickers.
Begin composting. We have a counter top compost bin and a yard compost bin. Bonus – we got them both from our local buy nothing group! We empty our counter bin every day or two into the large outdoor bin and then give it a spin. So excited to have some great dirt for planting the garden this summer.
Switch from the plastic baggies for lunch to reusable food storage containers. There are so many different types to choose from so find a few that will work best for you. My kids even use them when packing their lunch for the barn every day. You can likely find these at local thrift stores and even your local buy nothing group. If bags just work better – get some reusable bags for your food.
Switch to shampoo bars or change out one other personal care product that you use daily. We love our shampoo bar and have even made our own rosemary hair oil. We make some of our stuff ourselves but also order from a friend who opened up a store locally and sells tons of things. The one thing we always order from her is our deodorant.
Use reusable cleaning cloths and scrub pads. These kitchen wash scrubs are 100% my favorite!!! They work so well and I use them all of the time. They scrub up anything that’s stuck on and they last for a long time!
Switch to a menstrual cup or cloth pads. If you haven’t made the switch to the cup yet, I’m telling you, it’s life changing. I switched at least 12 years ago and it is amazing!!! I know, it sounds ridiculous but I’m telling you, give it a shot. I’ve had so many friends make the switch and they all say the same thing, it really is amazing.
Use a more natural cleaner. There are tons of options to buy or make. We mainly use a mix of water and vinegar and will add some orange essential oil to it if we want. So quick and easy and I always have both ingredients handy. Just throw it in a glass spray bottle and we can clean up messes at any point.
Shop used whenever possible. Check out garage sales, your local thrift stores, buy nothing group or even Facebook marketplace. It’s a great way to save money and also to keep things out of the landfill. It’s also a great way to re-purpose what you have that you don’t need.
Meal plan. Not only does this take the stress out of meal time, it allows you to plan meals to prevent waste. Make chicken one night and use the leftovers for a soup the next night. It also allows you to plan lunches for the next day based on what you have left for food. Planning for seasonal foods in your meals also allows for some cost savings as well.
Grow a garden. Start small and add in something else every year. We just planted an herbal and medicinal garden recently so that we can use those things for teas and natural remedies. We started by planting our favorite vegetables and adding to it each year. I’m excited for our herbs to start growing!
Share what and why you are doing this with your kids. The easiest way to raise a more aware generation is to start with your kids. Get them excited and helping make the changes and as they grow, these will become natural for them and they will share with their friends and their future family.
Make one small change each month. It doesn’t have to be difficult and by making one change at a time, by the end of the month, that change feels natural. Then when you add another small change, it feels easier and less overwhelming!
