While it’s clear that more and more people are embracing eco-friendly lifestyles, improving our environment is going to take a lot more than making the switch from plastic to metal straws. The last few years have seen wildfires engulfing California and Australia, floods in Japan and India, and major tsunamis in Indonesia. Point blank, it’s no secret that the state of the natural world is increasingly deteriorating. However, there is yet hope to turn the world around in the next 10 years. This includes integrating small changes within our lifestyles that will eventually generate change on a bigger scale. Caring for the environment can actually save you quite a bit of money, too. 

One-time switches lead to long-time savings

Most green switches are one-time, meaning you’ll buy one product and use it for a longer duration. For example, you can swap your plastic razor for a metal razor. Then, you won’t spend all that money every month on plastic razors or razor heads that just end up in the landfill. Although these may seem more expensive up front, you’ll actually save money in the long run.

There’s plenty of other single-use products you can switch out for environmentally-friendly products that last forever, such as cloth dish towels instead of paper towels or glass food containers instead of plastic sandwich bags. Some green products don’t cost much more—or even the same amount—as their single-use counterparts.

Thrifting is cool, chic, and affordable

Clothes from stores like Shein and Forever 21 are known for being cheap and trendy but fall apart after one wear. They’re also terrible for the environment. The mass production of clothes made of plastic-based materials in factories that typically underpay their workers is one of the major problems in the fashion industry. 

If you choose not to participate in fast fashion but can’t afford expensive eco-friendly brands, you can thrift your clothes instead! Thrifting is considerably the most ethical way you can buy clothes because it’s taking clothes that would have otherwise been thrown away and giving them a ~new life~. You know these clothes will stand the test of time because they’ve usually already been worn and washed.

Goodwill, Plato’s Closet, and Uptown Cheapskate are just a few affordable options for pre-loved clothes. But, if you prefer to shop online, many online thrift stores have been popping up all over, such as GoodFair, thredUP, and Swap. You may even opt to support your local community by going to a flea market or shopping on Facebook Marketplace.

The Three Rs: Reuse, Reuse, Reuse

We’ve all heard of the three Rs, “reduce, reuse, and recycle.” What people fail to mention is that recycling is a long and expensive process that often spends more energy than it saves. Investing in durable and sustainably made items will not only save you money in the long run but also reduce waste and improve your overall health. Refillable metal water bottles, for example, are a longer-lasting and better quality alternative to plastic water bottles. The metal is less likely to leak chemicals into your drink than a plastic bottle. Plus, coffee chains like Starbucks, Dunkin, and even Panera shave some money off of your daily coffee purchase if you bring your own cup. Talk about a win-win!

One of the best things you can do for the planet is to opt for cloth shopping bags. They come in many different sizes, styles, and designs. You can sleep soundly knowing that your supermarket crush noticed your impeccable taste in fashion and sustainable life choices. Plastic bags can also suffocate your food and seep toxic microplastics into it. This isn’t ideal for preservation, but reusable produce bags made of cloth actually help your food to breathe and keep it fresher longer. Did your cloth bags get dirty? Throw them in the washer with your clothes and take your fresh-scented bags with you on your next grocery run!

Feeling up for a challenge?

If you’re a seasoned vet in all things sustainable, see if you can transfer those practices into the kitchen. Food production accounts for about a quarter of the total greenhouse gas emissions around the world. Switching out almond or peanut butter for sunflower seed butter can lower production costs while still delivering you the creamy goodness of peanuts or almonds. Surprisingly, almonds demand a lot of water to grow. In fact, over 80% of the world's almonds are grown in drought-prone California, making them a less sustainable choice.

While a carrot is nothing like a steak, take it upon yourself to mimic the nuances of meat without actually using meat. Throw it in an air fryer, cut it into strips and make “bacon” (don’t forget the chimichurri sauce). An estimated 72 billion pounds of food is wasted every year in the United States before it even gets to your home and over a quarter of the world’s entire land area is solely used to graze or grow food for farm animals—food that could have been eaten by people in the first place. Further, major retailers often toss out perfectly good fruits and veggies that don’t meet aesthetic or size standards. However, companies like Misfit Market send these batches of unloved produce to their customers. You can even do better by shopping at local farmers’ markets rather than going to major retailers. So what if your carrot is a little wonky or your lettuce head is too small? It can still be delicious with a little TLC.

Lastly, don’t buy it if you already have it! It might be tempting to start all over with new items, but the most eco-friendly (+ wallet-friendly) thing you can do is to use what you already have. This could apply to using the towels and food containers that are already stashed in the back of your closet (you know the ones). Don’t throw away your current sandwich bags or dish soap; instead, use them up and then make the switch to a plastic-free option.

Finally, don’t give up if you can’t do everything perfectly. A lot of people doing their best for the planet imperfectly is better than just a few people being perfectly environmentally-friendly.

Written by Hannah Falcon & Samhita Anapu, Photography by Ally Lain, Design by Madelyn Okruhlik, Media by Alexis Bracht