Green Living: 10 Easy Ways to be More Eco-friendly

It’s not easy being green…well no offence to Kermit but actually, it is lol. The environment is in serious trouble. and green living is . This is not news. And green living is one way we can all help Mother Nature to heal. 

The oceans are polluted, the forests are burning, the air is filled with chemicals, and hello climate change.

I know if can seem confusing. There are so many terms out there. Eco-friendly, sustainable, eco-conscious, natural, green, so many! What does it all mean exactly? 

And what is green living?

You Can Make a Difference

Green Living basically means living a lifestyle that reduces your carbon footprint. A lifestyle that is kinder, healthier, and easier on the environment. Reducing your negative impact if you will.

It’s easy to think I am only one person and I can’t create any real change. That way of thinking is outdated, couldn’t be more wrong, and to be honest is just an excuse to stay in your comfort zone.

We can all do small things everyday that will make a big impact on the environment. Especially if more and more of us jump on board and do them too.

Imagine if everyone on the planet just stopped buying bottled water? Or stopped using take out coffee cups? Imagine the waste that would not be created.

So yes, you as an individual can create powerful change every single day, you just need to be mindful and have the desire to make a difference.

So here we go 10 tips to green living. Enjoy!

1 – Ditch Fast Fashion

So the fashion industry is one of the harshest industries on the environment, not to mention human rights.

That $5 top you bought at the mall was likely made in a sweat shop, under horrible conditions, with barely a thought for the environment in mind.  

Instead buy clothes second hand, participate in a clothing swap, or choose brands that are vocal about being green in their practices. Guaranteed they pay their employees fairly and do not use child labour.

When purchasing clothes this way you will surely have a nice clean conscious when you wear them.

And if finances are an issue, shopping second hand or clothing swaps are sure fire ways to help environment and save a few bucks! 

2 – Say Bye Bye to Plastic

Yep, we all know it, plastic is bad. Plastic has toxins that leech into everything. It practically never breaks down, and it ends up in our oceans and landfills.

Yes, some plastic can be recycled, but not all, things like straws, toothbrushes, and plastic bags end up in the garbage everyday.

Not to mention the resources it takes to create plastic in the first place and then to recycle it.

Why not make the switch to glass packaging and food storage containers that you can use over and over again.

Eliminate the worries about what might be getting into your food or that it might end up in a landfill somewhere.

You can checkout Pinterest for some super awesome ideas for re-purposing your glass bottles and jars. Like this one HERE!

3 – Green Living Means Shopping Local

Shopping local means you are supporting local farmers and shop owners, which is quite simply an all around fab thing to do. But it also means that you will be creating less of a carbon footprint.

When your food is grown locally it does not need to travel across countries to reach you and will always have less packaging than items that travelled a long distance. Nearly everywhere has a local farmers market, start frequenting yours.

And it’s not just food, take advantage of the local talent in your area, there are no doubt uber talented makers who have amazing offerings in the form of clothes, candles, body products and so much more for you to take advantage of.

Get your ass out of the big box stores and embrace green living by getting out into your local neighbourhoods.

Well, you can finish reading this post first 😉

4 – Re-useable Water Bottles/Coffee Cups

We can all carry around a coffee cup or water bottle for our daily adventures.

Plastic water bottles and one use coffee cups are some of earth’s biggest polluters.

Imagine your local Starbucks during the morning rush….all of those individuals getting their morning caffeine fix and then ditching the coffee cup into the trash.

Now think about all of the Starbucks’ in your local area, city, province, country? That is a lot of coffee cups. Every. Single. Day.  

I used to be a horrible offender of this. I would have take out coffee nearly every single day. Just awful. 

By bringing your own cup you’ll help the environment and your wallet because you get a discount! Win, win situation.

Yes you have to carry the cup when you are done with it but it’s not so bad and just needs to become a habit. 

I used to forget mine or just be too lazy to bring it but it got easier with time. Now it’s second nature to bring it everywhere. Because I always need coffee lol. 

5 – Tote Bags: A Green Living Girls Best Friend

I never leave the house without at least one tote bag. Tote bags are the best!

You can get pretty ones to match your personality, use them over and over again, and it’s just plain easier to carry things in tote bags than in those horrible re-useable plastic bags.

Many of us bring bags to the grocery store at this point, but I am talking everyday into every store you shop, bring your tote bag!

I bring mine even if I am not planning to stop anywhere because you never know when you might get that shopping urge or remember something you need last minute.

We seem to always need something and you don’t want to be caught without a bag. 

6 – Grocery Shop in Bulk

Bulk stores are great, period.

They create much less waste than buying pre-packaged boxed or bagged items.

They are also generally much easier on your budget and many stores will even let you bring your own containers to refill now, which means a completely waste free shopping experience.

And who doesn’t love bulk store shopping? I love going down the isles and seeing all of the bins full of goodies, you’ll always find something fun and different to pick up.

Go ahead stray from your list! 😉 

7 – Turn It Off

What you ask? The answer is, everything.

If you aren’t using it, turn it off. The lights, your computer, power bars, electronics, the water when you are brushing your teeth, anything that you are not actively using.

Leaving things running is a form of waste that is super unnecessary and one we are all guilty of sometimes. Also, an easy one to fix. 

8 – Leave the Car at Home

It’s not necessary. Is your grocery store a 10 minute walk away and even when you only need a few things you drive there? How about grabbing your tote bags and walking?

Better for the environment, your bank account and your health too!

A little extra exercise is never a bad thing. Start walking to more places, or if you live somewhere that is bike friendly consider cycling around (it’s often faster than driving).

Another alternative is public transit depending on where you live. I know that here in Toronto transit and cycling are often the faster option. And no dealing with traffic or fighting to find parking.

My personal favourite is walking. What will be your new favourite? Go on an adventure without the car and see how you feel!

9 – Choose Green Cleaning & Personal Care Products 

Conventional cleaning and personal care products are full of toxins.

Toxins that are harmful to our environment and harmful to your health. Try switching over to natural companies.

They will be all around healthier and much more eco-friendly than the typical versions.

Natural companies are most often very environmentally conscious and have practices in place to make as small an impact on our eco-system as possible. 

Or take it a step further and make your own! Check out my post on natural cleaning products HERE, with recipes!

You can also check out my toxins in your beauty routine post HERE if you’d like to learn more.

10 – Eat a Plant Based Diet

Yes I saved this one for last. People often will roll their eyes or get their back up at the mention of cutting back on animal products.

But a green living lifestyle list would not be complete without it. It is one of the single most important things you can do as an individual to help protect this beautiful world we live in. 

Now hear me out, I am NOT saying everyone has to go vegan.

What I am saying is there is absolutely no need for people to be eating meat and/or dairy at every single meal. Not from an environmental perspective, nor a health perspective.

The statistics on animal agriculture and the effects it has on the planet are staggering (do yourself a favour and watch Cowspiracy if you haven’t yet, its even on Netflix).

Maybe you can commit to having meat at only one of your daily meals or do three days vegan, three days your regular fare.

There are so many options and delicious vegan alternatives these days. There is really no reason to not go at least go a little more plant based with your diet.

Worried about protein, hello beans, lentils, quinoa, hemp hearts and tofu. But where will I get my calcium? Dairy is by far not the best source of calcium to be utilized by the body, veggie sources are (a topic for an entirely different post lol).

I digress, do the environment, the animals, and yourself a favour and cut back. Trust me it’s something you will feel good about, body, soul, and mind.

If you want to read a little about my plant based journey, you can do so HERE.

On Living The ‘Green’ Witch Life

I know many of my readers identify as witches or follow a nature based spiritual practice. Or perhaps aspire to.

Our beliefs centre around nature and Mother Earth. As such, we should truly be leading the charge when it comes to the sustainability fight. 

Now you may not consider yourself an activist or frequent climate change protests, and that’s okay if it’s not your jam. 

But we should be able to be positive examples to others when it comes to being eco-conscious. Aiming to inspire others to be more eco-friendly in their own lives.

And, from my perspective anyways,  how can we honour nature and then at the same time not consider how we are treating her on a daily basis.

We can’t, not really. We witches need to step up! There are always ways in which to do better. 

And I write all of this with the utmost love. Love for my readers and for Mother Earth. 

So, green living, pretty simple right? 

Looking at this list as a whole maybe it doesn’t seem simple at all.  But you do not have to implement every one of these suggestions today. And it would really be impossible to do so.

Thinking that is for sure overwhelming. Just pick one.

Pick one of the items off this list and commit to making the change today. Then maybe next week, or in two weeks, once you have a handle on the first one you choose another.

It doesn’t have to be a struggle, and knowing you are doing things to actively help the environment be a better, healthier place is going to feel oh so good. I have no doubts you will be implementing more and more green practices as time passes. 

I want to hear from you! 

So are you ready for some green living goodness? What do you think of the list? Is there one thing that jumps out at you to try? Or maybe you have been eco-friendly for a while and have some tips of your own?

Post a comment, or connect with me on social media. I love to hear your thoughts! 

And Remember!

If you enjoyed this post, SUBSCRIBE to my newsletter for more witchy wellness, and eco-friendly tips. And you will receive my  Wholesome Kitchen Clean-up Guide, as a THANK YOU for joining my little internet community <3 

Until next time pixie doll, keep it green! 

Yours in health and magick,

Krystle xo