Beyond Paperless: Easy Ways to Live More Sustainably
Going paperless is one of the
most important transitions you
can make to live a more
sustainable life, and in today's
digital environment, it's relatively
easy to do.
But what other steps can the
average person take to live a
more sustainable life without
making any major sacrifices?
Shop Intelligently
First, commit to shopping in an intelligent and sustainable way. These
are some of the strategies that can help you do this:
· Reduce consumption. Everything you consume has an impact
on the environment, since every available consumer good must be
produced, distributed, and taken home from the store. If you reduce
your consumption, you'll naturally reduce your own environmental
impact. You don't have to completely overhaul your lifestyle, but if
you scale back your consumer spending even slightly, you can
improve your environmental impact.
· Prioritize high-quality goods. When you do make new
purchases, prioritize high-quality goods that are likely to last for a
long time. Handmade leather loafers, for example, can last many
years if you take good care of them – and because they can go with
almost any outfit, they're incredibly versatile. If you're forced to buy
shoes every year because yours keep falling apart, you'll produce
more waste and support industries that are responsible for
disproportionate volumes of pollution.
· Shop locally when possible. Whenever you can, shop locally.
Buying food from a local farmer’s market and purchasing crafts from
local art fairs is much better than getting everything from a national
chain of supermarkets. As an added bonus, you'll probably end up
with better purchases as well.
· Review labels and choose eco-friendly brands. Read labels
carefully when buying new products, including foods. Whenever
possible, choose eco-friendly brands over their less sustainable
counterparts; most major brands now publish annual sustainability
reports and make a concentrated effort to promote their
environmental endeavors.
· Fix instead of replacing. If something breaks in your house,
your first instinct may be to immediately replace it, but this increases
your consumption level and your environmental impact. Whenever
possible, it's better to fix the broken item.
Reuse and Recycle Whatever You Can
Environmental responsibility also includes waste management, so
reuse or recycle whatever you can. Instead of throwing away your
grocery store bags, use them around the house. Instead of tossing
the empty jelly jar into the garbage, use it as a glass or recycle it.
Since most cities in the United States now offer some kind of
recycling program, there's no excuse not to get involved.
Travel Sustainably
A traditional passenger vehicle produces 4.6 metric tons of carbon
dioxide every year. Even if you're only driving it to work and the
store, that's still a significant volume of pollution.
There are several transportation alternatives that can help you reduce
this pollution:
· Walk. For anything within a mile or two of your home, consider
walking. In addition to minimizing your use of a car, you'll get some
excellent exercise.
· Bike. For destinations that are slightly farther away, you can
bike. In most areas, bikes are entitled to use the road the same way
a car would; just make sure you wear a helmet.
· Take public transportation. If it's too far to walk or bike to a
location, consider taking public transportation, such as the subway or
a bus.
· Carpool. Failing that, you may be able to carpool; one car on
the road is much better than four.

Grow Your Own Food
Even if you don't think of yourself as having a green thumb, you're
probably capable of growing at least some of your own foods. If you
have even a small plot of land, or access to a community garden,
consider growing some fruits and vegetables to minimize your
reliance on produce you find in the store.
Minimize Your Energy Consumption at Home
The less energy you consume, the less of a burden you're placing on
the environment. These are some of the easiest ways that you can
minimize your energy consumption at home without making any
major sacrifices:
· Thermostat adjustments. The biggest source of energy
consumption in a typical home is the combination of heating and
cooling. But if you adjust your thermostat even slightly, you can
dramatically reduce your energy expenditures here. For example,
setting your thermostat just a few degrees higher in summer and a
few degrees lower in winter can make a huge difference over time –
and save you money as well.
· Off lights and appliances. Always make sure to turn off your
lights and appliances when you're done using them. Even though
modern LEDs are incredibly energy efficient, there's still no reason to
keep them on if you're not using them.
· Creative workarounds. A dryer can use between 1,800 and
5,000 watts of energy, which is 1.8 to 5 kWh of electricity – so why
not hang your clothes out to dry instead? Little creative workarounds
like this can significantly reduce your energy consumption.
By going paperless, you'll reduce demand for paper and live more
sustainably, while simultaneously avoiding the need to store mass
quantities of paper. But going paperless is only the beginning. With
these strategies, you'll be able to reduce your energy consumption,
reduce demand for consumer products, minimize pollution, and
ultimately better protect the environment. Best of all, these lifestyle
changes don’t require much of a sacrifice – and some of them can
even save you money.