Even with the Earth’s temperature currently flirting with the 1.5 degrees Celsius threshold of “no return,” Americans ranked climate change 21 on the list of issues they thought were most important in the 2024 election. That’s behind distribution of wealth, abortion, and the federal budget deficit among others. While the other issues are not unimportant, now, more than ever, we should be concerned about the way we live and how it hurts the environment.
I’ve always felt this was an overarching issue that should take precendent, not because those other problems are unimportant, but because none of it will matter if we do not have a nurturing planet to live on. Clean air, clean water, and a place to live should all be human rights. And animal rights, for that matter.
I want to preface this list by saying that not everyone is able to make every sustainable change. Not everyone can quit Amazon due to financial or circumstantial constraints. Not everyone can find thrifted clothes in their size. Not everyone has access to green products or services.
I was finally able to make these changes after years of working toward a greener lifestyle. Even if you make a small change that benefits the environment, you are on your way and you are making a difference. But here are a few ways I was able to make a change in 2024, and maybe I can share a few ideas you can manage as well.
1. I swapped my cleaning products
This year I started buying concentrated, dry cleaning products that do not use plastic packaging. I have primariy bought from Blueland, which I’ve loved so far. Even better, the concentrated products just need to be mixed in water in your own bottles or appliances — no big laundry detergent bottles or microplastic wrapping from dishwasher pods. I’ve done this with detergent, hand soap, glass cleaner, dishwasher soap, and toilet cleaner (the toilet tablets are my favorite — they work even better than the Clorox liquid cleaner I’d used for years).
2. I unsubscribed
Even though I primarily buy new products from sustainable sources, they still bombard you with promotional emails. I like a good deal, so I kept them around for a long time, trying to find the right time to buy certain things.
But I also end up buying more this way. New product drops, buy-2-get-one-free deals, clearance sales…they all grab my attention equally, and I end up buying products when I don’t need them. Overconsumption is still a thing with eco-friendly products. Toward the end of this year I’ve been on an unsubscribe rampage.
3. Sustainable or local-bought Christmas gifts
I finally asked our parents to only gift us 1-2 sustainable gifts. They opted for cash, which is also perfectly sustainable! I typically try to buy this way every Christmas, but now there’s a bit less pressure for me to find things they *might* use and buy 1-2 items that are sustainable and meaningful.
For my parents this year, I bought them socks from Pacas. They are made from alpaca wool, which makes for the softest socks I’ve ever put on my feet, and also does not harm the environment like mass-produced clothing.
4. I buy books used or local
I read a lot of books (and buy a lot more — whoops). But a majority of the books I buy come secondhand from thrift shops, little libraries, or Pango Books. I also sell my used books on Pango so they can find a new home.
While thrift shops are an amazing resource, I prefer to resell on a searchable platform so someone who is looking for the book, anywhere in the country, can find it. That means it won’t end up in the trash if the thrift shop doesn’t sell it and I can match someone with the book they want for a good price.
5. I drove less
Having a hybrid job has helped a lot with cutting my carbon footprint, but sometimes the little things help a lot too. For instance, taking a drive thru instead of walking inside to order emits much more carbon than is necessary.
Choosing a store closer to me instead of going to the nicer one across town makes a difference. Carpooling with friends makes a big difference. My husband’s team does a semi-annual gathering in Dallas, and he makes a point to carpool with several work buddies. That’s 2+ cars not taking a 6-hour round trip on the freeway.
6. I cut back on Amazon
Ideally, I want to quit Amazon altogether. Only in the past year or so have I had the money to choose better places to buy from. But Amazon is still a huge platform with a lot of choices, and often I’d rather find the exact thing I’m looking for than to settle for something I don’t love at, say, Target.
Regardless, I am now putting things on a list for my next grocery run instead of automatically doing an Amazon search.
7. I had pants mended instead of buying new
It’s been a long time since I’ve taken my clothes to a tailoring place, but I took a step this year. I found two pairs of pants that fit me pretty well at a thrift shop…but they weren’t perfect. One was far too long and the other had extra space on the back of the waist.
They came back to me fitting perfect for about $30 each, making their total price close to $50. While this is more work and not necessarily cheaper depending on where you buy, it was doable for me, especially when the jeans I’ve bought in the past were closer to $80. It felt good to support a local tailoring business too.
