10 Sustainable habits that you can easily integrate into your day

Today, I'm going to share some simple sustainability habits with you. Not only will they reduce your ecological footprint, but in many cases, they'll also save you money—a win-win situation for you. and the planet. :)

Some of the tips I'd like to recommend to you require a bit of cognitive effort at first. By that, I mean that you have to consciously think about your own behavior and the small habits you practice every day. Sometimes you also have to consider possible alternatives. With a little practice, however, all of these things will become new habits, and you'll practically forget about them. The motto here is: Just try it out!

Of course, it all depends on your current life situation and the circumstances under which you go about your daily life. Some of the tips may not be feasible for you at the moment. Of course, that shouldn't be an excuse for nothing to do – everyone simply does what they can. With that, we can make a big difference. 🤗

10 or more small, sustainable habits for your everyday life

1. Boil water

For many people, the day starts with a delicious cup of coffee or tea. We often boil much more water than we actually need. This means that even with our first daily "act," we can save energy and resources. When heating your water in the kettle, use your cup to measure the amount of water or only fill your kettle to the minimum line. It seems like a small thing, but it can save a lot of energy. And for you, it means virtually no extra effort—just a little more mindfulness. :)

2. Curtains

The way we use our curtains and drapes can have a huge impact on heat regulation in our homes. During the winter months in our latitudes, heating is our best friend—and it's almost impossible to avoid it. However, you can still make sure to leave the curtains open on windows where the sun passes during the day. The incoming sun's rays are more warming than you might think! Conversely, in the summer, these same windows should be covered as much as possible during the day. This allows the interior to be cooled without having to resort to fans or air conditioning. On the days when I forget to take care of my "curtain situation," I always notice a huge difference in the temperature in the rooms!

3. Food waste

The amount of food that ends up in the trash is still a huge problem. I have already detailed blog post about the topic of food waste written, so I will only briefly touch on the most important points here.
Check your fridge and pantry before you go shopping. This will help you avoid buying too much. Meal planning is also great for avoiding excessive amounts of vegetables and fruit (which, unfortunately, most often end up in the trash because they aren't eaten in time). It's also a good idea to regularly (z.B. once a month) to “sort” the supplies according to expiration date (products whose best before date is in the near future move to the front of the shelf or refrigerator).We often forget that so many foods can be frozen, so this can also be a great solution.

Extra tip: A sustainable alternative to cling film is beeswax wraps (vegan alternative: "plant-based wax wraps"), which can be reused multiple times and are now even available in drugstores and organic food stores. Definitely give them a try!

4. Eat seasonally, regionally and plant-based

Whenever possible, I try to eat seasonally, regionally, and of course, plant-based. You can also find a lot about this topic on our blog, from vegan recipes above Natural meat alternatives you should know, up to Tips for a sustainable diet in generalIf you're a big meat fan, then "Meat-Free Fridays," for example, are a great place to start. Every step toward increased awareness is important and good!

5. Save water in the kitchen

Aside from boiling water itself (see tip number one), there are of course other ways to save water in the kitchen. One of these is turning off the tap whenever possible. But I don't think I need to mention that. :) I picked up another tip from a friend: When she washes vegetables or fruit, she puts a bowl in the sink to catch the water. She then uses it to water her houseplants and the plants in the garden. The same thing works wonderfully with unsalted water that you've heated for boiling (but please let it cool down first!).

6. Composting

For a long time, I considered composting irrelevant because I live in an apartment and don't have a garden. It was the internet that taught me that you don't need a garden to compost. Of course, an outdoor compost is practical and possible on a larger scale – but you can also start composting indoors or on your balcony. The simplest option is a small compost bin for the kitchen countertop. If you have a balcony, you can try a worm bin. If you want to read up on the topic, I can recommend Pinterest as well as Google – there you'll find many Experience reports and “insider tips”!

7. Preheat oven

Let's head back to the kitchen one last time and see something that at some point bothered me so much that I simply had to change something. You know that feeling – you're cooking according to a recipe and expect 15 minutes of prep time before the meal goes into the oven. After all, that's what the recipe says. Perfect timing, then, to preheat the oven. As always, the prep, including chopping vegetables and herbs, takes longer than expected. The oven steams away – wasting a lot of energy.
So whenever I see "Preheat oven to xy degrees" as the first step in a recipe, I skip it. That doesn't mean I don't preheat the oven at all—it just means I do it later. If necessary, I'll just wait a few minutes with the finished food—better than leaving the oven running for so long. In many cases, it doesn't matter if the food is already in the oven before it's fully preheated. If in doubt, you can always leave the food in longer...

8. Cleaning

Plastic sponges, cloths, and brushes are cheap and practical. But unfortunately, they're not so good for the environment.With every use, tiny plastic particles from the product end up in the water. The alternative: cleaning aids made of wood or cellulose, some of which are even biodegradable. Such products can often be found in organic supermarkets, but also in well-stocked drugstores.

9. Do the laundry

Our laundry habits often have a greater impact on the environment than they need to. First of all, the materials we use for our clothes can release plastic particles into the water, similar to cleaning (see tip 8). Therefore, whenever possible, we should opt for natural materials when buying new clothes.

In recent years, "cold washing" has become a new trend because it allows for significant energy savings. After all, a large portion of the total energy used in washing clothes is used to heat the water. Therefore, it's generally a good idea to wash clothes on a colder setting rather than a hot one, unless absolutely necessary. However, it's also worth keeping in mind that some bacteria are only killed at a certain temperature (which is often the main reason for washing with hot water).
Another option is to avoid using a dryer, as these are also known to consume a lot of energy. Line-drying for the win!
If you want to wash in a more environmentally conscious way, you should also avoid fabric softener and switch to green detergents.

10. Save resources on books, games, DVDs, etc.

If you have children who enjoy gaming on the PC or console, you're probably familiar with those Christmas or birthday wish lists filled with one game after another. Or maybe you're a fan of games, DVDs, records, or similar things yourself. I, for example, absolutely love books.

What does this have to do with the environment? Well, all of these products consume resources and are often made of plastic (especially game cases, Blu-ray discs, etc.). And for all of these products, there are digital alternatives that allow you to avoid precisely these resources. Admittedly, a physical book or a "real" vinyl record definitely has more appeal than an MP3 file or an eBook. But if you're a little more mindful of "wasting" resources, you can get a great start here without any extra effort. After all, the wish list is fulfilled when the game is downloaded, right? This way, the game card can't get lost and can be accessed at any time. :)

If you would like to learn more about sustainability, healthy eating, mindfulness or family and pregnancy, Check out more exciting blog articles on these topics here.

Photo by Sarah Chai