The Sustainable Lifestyle Planner: 100+ Actions To Bring Change

In this story, I will talk about 100+ actions you could take towards living a more sustainable lifestyle. I’ll touch upon what exactly a sustainable lifestyle is, why it is important, and what it takes to achieve it. I will also share information about the Sustainable Lifestyle Planner I’m developing – what it is, when to expect it, and how to be part of the process. 

Let’s begin!

What is a sustainable lifestyle and why is it so important?

Just replace “Sustainable Development” with “Sustainable Lifestyle” in the following quote and you will get the answer!

“Sustainable Development is one that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”

– Our Common Future 

This is the definition of sustainable development by The World Commission on Environment and Development by the UN General Assembly. They first outlined and put forward this concept in the famous report – “Our Common Future”, back in the ’80’s.

Living sustainably is not one size fits all journey. Each individual must decide for themselves:

Is it important to me that future generations, including my children and grandchildren, will live in a world where they can meet their needs?

Once you decide the answer is YES and embrace this mindset, you will see a massive shift in your consumer and civil habits. Aim for perfection but celebrate every single minor change in your daily routine.

Start small, add more, and inspire others!  

And remember, that you vote with your money for the future of the generations to come! 

How do you live a sustainable lifestyle?

Is living a sustainable lifestyle even possible? YES! It is all about consuming consciously and appreciating others more.

All it takes is to develop a habit to practice the “7 R’s” of Sustainable Development and Lifestyle:  Reduce, Refuse, Reuse, Recycle, Replace, Repurpose, Repair. Add to that ongoing determination, strong will, consistency, and patience. 

While turning completely “zero waste” and “carbon neutral” sounds a bit utopian, taking even the smallest step, on a personal level, is a must. For everything else, you can at least offset your carbon footprint. I will talk about how at the end of this article. 

What is a Sustainable Lifestyle Planner, why and how to use it?

The Sustainable Lifestyle Planner is simply a checklist with all the simple actions you can take towards living a more sustainable lifestyle. You need one because you may get overwhelmed if you start changing your habits all at once. This may lead to doubtfulness and unwillingness to change and proceed further. The Sustainable Lifestyle Planner gives you an overview of what could be done, what are you currently doing and what could you be doing more next. The Sustainable Lifestyle Planner will also give you the satisfaction of tracking your progress.

I collected and organized 100+ actions (inspired by other people) to help us live in a more sustainable way.

You can read all the actions in the following sections of this article. All these actions and more are also inside the Sustainable Lifestyle Planner App, which is already in the making and coming up SOON!

If you wish to be among the first to get the Sustainable Lifestyle Planner App, and to become an active leader in promoting a sustainable lifestyle, please register below and get on board as a sustainability ambassador:

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100+ actions toward a more sustainable lifestyle:

Replace single-use plastics. We know already that plastic wraps are the main water and landfill pollutants, so this is a great starting point. 

1. Get your own reusable shopping bag and keep it at hand. 

2. Never buy fruits or veggies wrapped in foil.

3. Whenever possible choose to buy beans and grains sold in bulk.

4. Look for cosmetics with reduced packaging or refillable options.

5. Buy products with recycled or biodegradable packaging.

6. Buy drinks in glass bottles as much as you can. 

7. Bring your own bottle or cup when buying coffee or fresh juice to go.

8. Refuse plastic straws, disposable cutlery, and napkins.

9. Don’t buy balloons, confetti, glittery items, fireworks or other festive trash.

10. Opt-in for recycled napkins, kitchen, and toilet paper. Even better get cloth napkins and cleaning towels and make a habit of washing your butt instead of using toilet paper.

11. Only buy non-toxic cleaning products, or even better – try making your own with some baking soda and vinegar. There are non-toxic detergents, and dishwasher tablets as well. 

12. Use the most energy- and water-efficient dishwasher, if possible. If you don’t have one, make sure you turn off the water while soaping the dishes and turn it on for rinsing only. 

13. Use LED lighting or CFL bulbs.

14. Turn off the lights when you are leaving the room. 

15. Turn off your electronics, including the electric outlets, when going out or sleeping.

16. Put extra clothing, instead of turning up the heat. Wool socks and mittens are cool.

17. Repurpose any plastic or glass containers you may have into self-watering planters and grow your own herbs. 

18. Find reusable freezer bags or reuse any plastic packaging that you couldn’t avoid getting. 

19. Get rid of your trash bin lining if possible or use biodegradable options. 

20. Collect the water when taking a shower and use it to water plants, wash the floor or flush the toilet.

21. Put a sign on your mailbox that you don’t want any paper crap. 

22. Use a drying line, especially in the summer, instead of the electric-powered dryer. 

23. Throw away dryer sheets and instead, use naturally scented wool dryer balls. 

24. Time your showers.

25. Compost your organic leftovers; there are composting solutions even if you live in an apartment building. Use it as a fertilizer for plants. 

26. Opt-out from receiving paper bills and statements. 

27. Use natural repellents inside your home and on your body as well. 

28. Don’t buy plastic Christmas toys and decorations. Skip the Christmas tree as well – this is a good occasion to opt for a plastic tree that can last for generations. 

28. If you live in a house, install solar panels, collect rainwater. 

29. Buy a water purifying system if you can afford one, instead of using plastic bottles or often-replaceable filters. 

30. Buy second-hand or repurposed furniture, whenever it makes sense.

31. Buy second-hand or refurbished electronics, appliances. 

32. Don’t use artificial house deodorants and aroma candles. 

33. Try permaculture in your garden.

34. Create an edible garden and fruit trees garden in your yard. 

35. Create a tower garden, it uses 98% less water than a soil garden and it waters itself.

36. Don’t spray your garden with poisons – instead, use natural repellents against pests and hands/tools to pull out weeds. 

37. Plant some flowers that attract honey bees to provide them with a food island. 

38. Plant a tree every year or support Wize Living with $5 and we will plant a tree for you. Learn more. 

39. Stop mowing your lawn, leave some natural habitat for all the bugs and flies (when mowing, you kill almost all the living beings in your grass). 

40. Install a greywater system that waters both your edible garden and drought-tolerant landscape.

40. Grow your own food as much as you can, even if it is just your herbs or a vertical strawberry garden.

41. Buy your food locally from small farmers and producers.

42. Refuse to buy or eat any food with MSG or Palm Oil. 

43. Reduce your cooking oil consumption.

44. Reduce your meat consumption. 

45. Reduce your sweet food intake. 

46. Reduce the overall amount of food you take. 

47. Never throw or play with food, no not-edible food art either. If you have leftovers, feed a person in need, a stray cat or dog or bird or even the worms. 

48. Make your coffee in a French press or Turkish style, instead of buying capsules. 

49. Opt for organic, non-GMO produce every time when possible. 

50. Opt for meat from small free-range farms. Don’t eat a chicken that grew 4 pounds in less than 3 months OR a cow that never saw sunlight. 

51. Use only natural dyes for food or Easter eggs coloring. 

52. Eat seasonal food whenever possible. Can your own veggies, beans, and even meat. 

53. Walk or ride a bike whenever possible. 

54. Use car-sharing or carpool services.

55. Reduce your flights to a minimum.

56. Choose closer destinations for your vacations. 

57. Make a shopping list and a store map before you go out. Aim for doing all the shopping at once and use the shortest routs. 

58. Find a local grocery delivery that uses bicycles or electric cars. 

59. Take the stairs instead of the elevator.

60. Use public transportation whenever possible. 

61. Have a trash bag with you when hiking and collect other people’s trash. 

62. Buy fewer, higher quality, durable clothes and shoes.

63. Prefer P2P buying of second-hand clothing. Second-hand stores use a lot of strong chemicals on clothes for disinfection. 

64. Prefer materials with organic and fairtrade labels. 

65. Avoid fast-fashion cheap clothing. 

60. Repurpose or donate your old clothes and shoes. 

66. Avoid buying real leather and fur.

67. Learn basic sewing and fix yourself minor patch holes or buttons. 

68. Palm oil is in cosmetics as well, check the ingredients and avoid it at all cost.

69. Avoid cosmetics with petroleum products like glycerin. 

70. Never buy cosmetics tested on animals.

71. Reduce your overall use of makeup. Natural beauty is the best beauty. 

72. Dye your color with natural dyes such as henna. 

73. Buy face/body creams and oils with all-natural ingredients. 

74. Try bamboo toothbrush, dental floss, and earbuds.

75.  Ladies, use a menstrual cup or washable menstrual panties, or reusable pads. 

76. Use all-natural toothpaste. 

77. Buy replaceable razor blades, or even better use an electric blade.

78. Try taking a shower without soaping your body, unless there is noticeable dirt on your skin.

79. Buy refillable cosmetics, or cosmetics with reduced packaging. 

80. Try some homemade recipes for beauty scrubs, masks, etc.  

81. Reduce the use of deodorants and perfumes you put on yourself. Try some natural scents instead. 

82. Use sun-powered chargers.

83. Opt-in for rechargeable batteries.

84. Recycle your batteries and electronic devices.

85. Consume fewer electronic devices.

86. Donate your old electronic devices. 

87. Buy electricity efficient technology

88. Buy second-hand appliances. 

89. Try to repair first before you buy a new device or appliance. 

90. Print something only if it is an absolute must and use both sides of the paper.

91. Bring your own reusable mug for coffee and glass bottle for water.

92. Turn off and unplug your computer and other devices when leaving the office.

93. Bring in a plant. 

94. Don’t use paper to dry your hands after you wash them.

According to a recent survey, 2.5 million tons of returned merchandise will end up in the landfills just for the gift-giving season around Christmas….

95. Gift experiences instead of things.

96. Buy gift cards. 

97. Use old clothes, scarfs to make gift wraps.

98. Ask for a gift wishlist to make sure no gifts will be useless. 

99. Recycle paper by doing your own greeting cards. 

100. Buy a living flower in a pot instead of bouquets. 

101. Plant a tree as a gift. 

102. Donate useless gifts to someone who needs them. 

103. Share this sustainable lifestyle planner with your friends and communities. 

104. Join the Sustainability & Mindful Lifestyle gro for more Wize Living stories, tips and actions.

Sustainability & Mindful Lifestyle | Wize Living Public group · 1 member Join Group

104. Talk about taking sustainable lifestyle actions every time when appropriate. 

105. Encourage and support others to take small but consistent steps towards a more sustainable lifestyle. 

106. Be the first to test the Sustainable Lifestyle Planner App prototype. Register below.

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As promised, here is a great conversation with the founder of Chooose, talking about how to offset your carbon footprint. Watch the video here.