If you’d like to lead a more environmentally conscious life, you don’t have to add solar panels to your roof or drive an electric vehicle. According to the Marie Kondo KonMari strategy, there are many small yet significant ways you can be a little more green in your day-to-day life without taking on disruptive or expensive changes. Just add one or two of the following habits to your routine to painlessly do your part to reduce waste and live more sustainably.
Take a walk—all day. Choose one day a week where you commit to foregoing public transportation and cars, and walk everywhere instead. Depending on your work logistics, you may have to plan your walk day for the weekend, but the idea is to support local businesses within walking distance, spend time at nearby parks or town attractions, or simply stroll through your neighborhood and bond with your community. If you put your mind to it, you’ll discover that a whole world most likely exists right within walking distance.
Organize groceries. If you find you’re creating too much food waste, it’s time to organize your fridge and pantry. Keep perishable items visible and within reach so that they don’t get forgotten and go to waste. The KonMari method suggests adopting a first in, first out approach when organizing cabinet and refrigerator shelves to help ensure you use up foods before they go bad. Also, if you usually don’t get to leftovers in time, freeze them instead.
Switch to cloth. Keep a stash of folded cloth napkins in your dining areas so that you and your family can conveniently reach for one during mealtimes. Not only will this add a little elegance to your dining experience, it will save you the expense and waste of using paper napkins.
Turn scraps into compost. You’ll be doing yourself and the environment a favor with the simple decision to turn food and garden scraps into compost. You can go all out and invest in a composting bin or simply create a compost heap in an out-of-the-way corner of your yard. Simpler still, collect your compostable items in a composting bag and deliver it to a local composting center. This is a great way to keep vegetable and fruit remains, coffee grounds, egg shells and garden trimmings from taking up extra space in the trash heap.
Swap it out. A great way to keep your closets organized and prevent over-shopping is to host a clothing swap with friends and family as you turn over your clothes each season. Select items that no longer fit or that you no longer love and ask loved ones to do the same. Then get together and ‘go shopping’ in each other’s closets. This is a great way to get rid of clothing that’s clogging up your closet and add some new items without spending a dime.
