I have always thought of myself as an Earth-conscious human, but as more and more scary information comes out about climate change, I feel compelled to do my part, beyond just throwing plastic in the recycling bin, because if you’ve read the bummer stats about recycling, its enough to make any Earth-conscious person want to give up. Growing up the adage was “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle,” now it seems far more important to reduce and reuse. I have been striving to make those changes in my life, home and family to help do my part. You may not want to implement all these changes at once, and some of them will require an initial cost, but none of these changes have effected my quality of life in the slightest. Here are 10 simple changes I have made to live a more sustainable life.

Swap single use plastic water bottle for a reusable stainless steel bottle. This one is a no brainer! 38 million plastic bottles go to landfill each year in America alone! Carrying a refillable water bottle reminds me to drink more water, saves me money and helps the planet.
Ditch the plastic ziplock bags and opt for silicone bags or reusable containers. I stopped buying ziplock bags almost two years ago, instead I pack snacks in small plastic containers and send leftovers home in a washed out plastic to-go container.
Use reusable grocery bags. Another no-brainer! They are easier to carry, can hold more things and as long as you remember to put them in your car, they just make more sense.
Skip the plastic for each piece of produce. Why? Why do you have to put every piece of fruit in a separate plastic bag? You can gather it up and put it on the scale when you get to the register, or you can buy a set of reusable produce bags.
Carry stainless steel straws in your purse. This is my most recent change and I’m still getting used to remember to carry my straws with me. But my son and I have made a pact bring them any time we go to dinner.
Resale your clothes and shop resale. Poshmark, Thread-up, Local consignment, Facebook Marketplace, there is no shortage of places to resale and buy clothes these days.
Swap out paper towels for rags and cloth napkins. I used to use paper towels for everything, wiping off the tables, cleaning up spills, wiping kid’s hands, napkins at dinner. I still keep paper towels on hand and use them from time to time, but I use rags 85% of the time and probably save $15 a month on paper towels.
Switch body wash and shave gel for bar soap. This a two-for-one swap! Eliminate two plastic bottles and save money by making this switch.
Switch to non-toxic clean products. One by one I have gone down the line figuring out which non-toxic clean products I like best and making the swaps away from harsh chemicals and to natural ingredients.
Eat one plant based meal a day. I’ve already been a vegetarian for over 20 years, so this swap may be easier for me than some, but the vegan options are plentiful! OMD, or one meal a day is movement to eat better for your health and for the planet. If you eat just one plant-based meal a day for a year, you’ll save almost 200,000 gallons of water (that’s 11,400 showers!) and the pollution equivalent to about 3,000 miles driven in your car. (source)