19 Cheap Habits That Are Actually Better For The Planet
Of course, no one person can fix every environmental problem. That's absurd! But while we all know that the big companies are doing most of the world's polluting, we, the people, don't exactly lack agency, either. We're totally capable of making choices that reduce harm to the planet, and that's a good thing!
In the interest of learning more earth-healthy habits, I recently asked the BuzzFeed Community for their cheap, easy habits that help the planet. Here are some of the best answers:
1."I bring my own drink, a bottle of water, every time I go out to eat to avoid ordering bottled water in the restaurant. I live somewhere in Asia where a bottle of mineral water can cost up to $5 in restaurants."
"It's a well-insulated reusable tumbler that keeps my ice water cold [for] up to 22 hours. I'm frugal, masked as eco-friendly. Lol."
2."Eating less meat/animal products. Agriculture is a massive contributor to climate change and greenhouse gas emissions. Eating plant-based meals is cheap, healthy, and saves the planet."
"It's not like you have to be a vegetarian or a vegan, just don't always eat meat."
3."Stop buying fast fashion. I know it feels good to feel 'trendy' — I do. But those clothes are made with plastic [and] horrible chemicals, [and are] made by people working for pennies in horrible conditions."
Anthony Devlin / Getty Images for Shein, Jade Gao / AFP via Getty Images
"[A lot of] people... are totally OK with that as long as they don't have to see it happening. The good thing about not buying fast fashion is that it saves you money, your clothes look better, and they last longer."
—Anonymous
4."Buy less stuff."
—Anonymous
5."Recycle everything that you can. If you do use certain disposable products like foil or paper towels, try to reuse them before throwing them away."
"When I have to cook something on foil, I save the foil to then cover the leftovers in the fridge... Wait 'til you have a larger load of laundry rather than doing a bunch of small loads to conserve water."
6."One totally free idea that will save you money and take quite literally ZERO effort is to stop buying stuff like the following things: dryer sheets, avoidable plastic, and cars with low MPG. Also, recycle."
—Anonymous
7."Trying to reduce food waste as much as possible has been my biggest [change], and we're winning! We make [only] enough to eat, anything else is leftovers/frozen, and [we] buy only what we need."
"I was ashamed of our waste before; we were not only eating out four to six times a week, but [were] buying enough groceries to cook for the whole week, too. We'd get lazy [and] end up tossing out so much food, it was disgusting.
"Now my husband and I are more conscious about what we buy, prepare, and eat, and the food waste has gone down quite drastically. Now we feel guilty for tossing a quarter of an onion, LOL. But seriously... once you get the hang of it, have backup recipes for everything you buy so you end up with as little waste as possible, or plan a lot for leftovers so every scrap is used, it gets so easy and addictive and you end up getting very creative in the kitchen, too."
8."Weed out single-use items, [like] paper plates... paper towels, plastic utensils, [and] straws — anything that has a sustainable, long-lasting [alternative]."
Oliver Helbig / Getty Images, Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
"Buy a reusable water bottle. They don't have to be expensive, my daughter has an Owala one that she's been taking to school every day for two years and it's in great condition. Think how many plastic single-use bottles that would be!
"Simple things like switching to laundry sheets instead of plastic jugs, [or] glass soap/cleaner bottles with tablet refills. Those are products you're buying anyway that are a simple switch.
"Bamboo toothbrushes. Use old towels and clothes for cleaning rags to eliminate paper towels. [Or use] cloth napkins; they're cheap or easy to make yourself!"
9."Invest in quality products (look for used!) and repair rather than replace. Support a local business! (Handymen, cobblers, tailors, etc.)"
"I live in an area with really harsh winters, so I invested in a pair of quality boots. The elements and salt are hard on everything. I bring my boots to my local cobbler at the end of every winter, [and] he repairs as needed so I’m ready for the next season. They’ll last me a lifetime with proper care."
10."I recycle my used batteries in the bins at the supermarket. I also found a place with bins outside the entrance for recycling small electronics, and when my kettle stopped working, I took it there to be recycled."
—Anonymous
11."Air-drying clothes. I have a fairly inexpensive clothesline horse. It’s been going strong for nine years."
"I can line dry four loads of laundry in across two days in the North Carolina summer. [There's] no cost beyond getting the clothesline and clothespins."
—Anonymous
12."Single-use plastic. Obviously, no one person can eliminate plastic [altogether], but it's been a change that makes me feel so much cleaner; I try to avoid single-use plastic WHEREVER I can, and I've found that I actually used it a lot more than I thought."
"It's funny — people claim to care about pollution and the turtles so much, but when it comes to actually making the change, any inconvenience seems enough to deter them. It doesn't have to be that way!
"I use almost zero single-use plastic now, and I try my best to avoid food packaging that comes in it (which is the biggest offender). I only wish big companies would go back to using glass and paper to package food in grocery stores."
—Anonymous
13."I’m vegan, I buy 95% of my clothing second-hand, and reduce-reuse-recycle like a madwoman."
"The meat and dairy industries are pretty catastrophic for the environment, so cutting that out of one’s diet has a positive impact on the environment. Things like soy, which are grown in mass quantities to feed cattle, can be used more efficiently to feed far more humans than cattle for subsequent consumption by humans.
"Fast fashion is also a huge planet polluter. I used to be guilty of buying from stores like H&M and Zara, but in the past few years have switched to buying from Value Village, mission thrift stores, Facebook Marketplace, etc. Even buying used furniture and vehicles helps!
"As for reduce-reuse-recycle, trying to reduce the amount of waste that enters your home (excess packaging, single-use plastics) is the first step. If you HAVE to bring them in, can you repurpose them? Could a container become a plant pot?
"And finally, recycle where you can!!!"
14."[I use a] SodaStream rather than bottled, carbonated water, a fold-down clothes dryer when I can't hang washing out, [and I] reuse coffee grounds in the garden as plant food."
—Anonymous
15."Create 'no car' days, arranging your life so that you don't need to drive anywhere for as long as possible, even if only for a day each week."
—Anonymous
16."Cold water for washing all your laundry."
—Anonymous
17." As Vivienne Westwood said, 'Buy less. Choose well. Make it last. Quality, not quantity.'"
Alexandr Lebedko / Getty Images, Xxwp / Getty Images/iStockphoto
"It's important to wear what you own more than once, that the clothes you wear are comfortable and flattering, and that you shouldn't just throw away clothes when you want to downsize. Think, 'Who might want these?'
"Are there clothing drives in your area? Can you renew them or patch them up? Buy what looks and feels good on YOU, not other people."
—Anonymous
18."I soak my orange & lemon peels in vinegar, strain, and then use the glorious smelling potion to clean and freshen my kitchen."
"If I’ve got questionable veggies or fruit, I’ll freeze them, then dehydrate them when I’ve got enough to fill the dehydrator, so I can use them down the road instead of wasting.
"DIY air freshener saves on packaging and many harmful chemicals; just mix rubbing alcohol or vinegar, distilled water, and essential oil in a reusable spray bottle.
"Using a drying rack instead of the dryer where possible will reduce energy use and lengthen the life of your clothing."
—Anonymous
19.And finally: "A change I found easy and constructive was to stop buying clothes from places like Shein and Forever 21. Once I learned about how bad their clothes and business practices were, I stopped forever."
"I buy way fewer clothes now, and I try to make sure they're not plastic, because not only is plastic bad for the environment, it makes you stink!
"Trust me when I say that in the summer months, I can tell who is wearing polyester. Guys, it's honestly not worth having the cutest, trendiest graphic tee or whatever. Your clothes make you SMELL."
—Anonymous
In short, most answers seem to be along the lines of less plastic, less energy use, and less consumption in general — which is so easy to do, because it actually involves not doing stuff. Let me know your thoughts down below. And if you have any more positive habits to share, I'm happy to hear them! Who knows — your tip might help someone make a positive change in their life.
Note: Some comments have been edited for length and/or clarity.
