We all know it’s important to do our bit to reduce our carbon footprint if we want to beat climate change. From walking more to eating less meat, many of us have made some effort to change our habits and improve the state of the environment. However, there are even smaller adjustments we can make which could reduce waste and contribute to sustainability.
Being sustainable at home is not only beneficial to the environment, but it also helps keep costs down and improves mental wellbeing. From growing your own vegetables to finding opportunities to upcycle things you have around the house, there are plenty of changes you could make that won’t take a lot of time or effort.
Here, we outline some tips for being more sustainable at home.
Gift giving can create vast quantities of unnecessary excess. Wrapping paper, Sellotape and packaging is rarely made from recyclable materials and unwanted gifts are common. Between upcycling unwanted gifts to buying greeting cards made from biodegradable materials, these tiny changes will barely make a difference to you but will have a positive effect on the environment, particularly if more people pick up on the trend.
Upcycling prevents unnecessary waste going into our landfills and can help you create something which feels fresh and new, over time lowering the number of goods factories are churning out. There are many ways to incorporate upcycling into gift giving. Old Christmas cards can be used to make gift tags for Christmas gifts. Simply cut off the inside part of the card with the message in it, then flip the card over and use the clear side to write the name of the recipient.
Growing your own produce
Growing fresh fruits and vegetables at home can be deeply satisfying, and you’ll often find your homegrown crops have more flavour than what you find in the supermarkets. If you’re new to gardening, start off with plants which are easy to maintain, such as radishes, potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers and strawberries.
Make sure you mark out clear spaces in the garden to show where each lot of seeds will be sowed and follow the spacing suggestions on the seed packet to ensure your crops have enough room to flourish. It also pays to plan as some plants can take a while to grow, so make sure you plant your seeds at the recommended time of year for a UK climate.
Sustainability and mental health
Sustainability can have a positive effect on our mental health, as we feel better about the decisions we’re making and the impact this could have on ourselves, as well as our wider community. This feeling increases serotonin (the main hormone which stabilises our mood and happiness) levels and releases more dopamine (the “happy” chemical in our brains).
Being more sustainable can also benefit us financially. For example, upcycling old cards into gift tags will save money on accessories to decorate presents with. Repeatedly taking small steps to waste less and spend less will result in a higher disposable income, meaning we have more to spend on the things that are worth it. This can improve quality of life and enable us to do more of the things that make us feel happy and fulfilled.