Sustainable Choices

Choices sorted by importance ascending [sort descending]

H = high, M = medium, L = low

1L Grow plants from seeds instead of buying them in plastic pots
2L Use a corded electric leaf blower
3L If you give products as gifts for the holidays, use minimal packaging
4L Use dental floss refills to reduce your use of plastic
5L Buy used books
6L Shop for clothing at thrift stores
7L Shop for furniture at thrift stores
8L Take a sailing vacation
9L Install solar water heating at your home
10L Use tooth brushing tablets in minimal packaging instead of toothpaste in a plastic tube
11L Don't use wasteful K-cup coffee makers
12L Make good use of grass clippings from lawn mowing
13L Use an induction stove
14L Make your own nut milks
15L Install low-flow showerheads
16L Swap in low-flow toilets
17L Use your local libraries
18L Use simple non-harmful cleaners to clean your toilets
19L Make good use of chicken and turkey carcasses by turning them into soup
20L Grow some sprouts
21L Use a glass water filter with no-waste carbon filters
22L Use a bidet
23L Reduce your use of plastic by making your own carbonated drinks
24L Get your tap water tested
25L Reduce your use of plastic with a permanent toothbrush
26L Reduce your use of plastic with refillable deodorant
27L Chop up leaves with a lawn mower for compost
28L Make your own ricotta, sour cream and other cheeses
29M Remove non-native plants on your property
30M Plant native plants on your property
31M Install insulation in your home
32M Promote healthy soil
33M Live with others and share resources
34M Grow herbs
35M Use a shampoo bar instead of liquid shampoo in plastic
36M Read aloud the ingredients in your personal care products
37M Buy an insect house
38M Learn about green building materials
39M Use a heat pump for both heating and air conditioning
40M Cook at home more
41M Become creative and flexible in your cooking
42M Consider carbon offsets
43M Mulch or compost organic matter on your property instead of sending it to the landfill
44M Use artificial intelligence to help you stop wasting food
45M Learn how to best manage interactions with wildlife
46M If you drive a gas-powered car, get regular tuneups
47M Switch to green banking services
48M Become a litter picker upper
49M Get exercise picking up litter
50M Eat less sugar
51M Choose hobbies that help sustainability
52M Chew your food thoroughly
53M Keep your car tires inflated to the proper pressure
54M If you prefer to use a power lawn mower, choose an electric model
55M Support local farmers' markets
56M Use rain barrels for water conservation
57M Refuse plastic straws
58M Give experiences and love for the holidays instead of products
59M Prefer minimal recyclable packaging for all products
60M Use drying racks instead of gas or electric dryers
61M Use reusable produce bags
62M Eliminate vampire power at home and at work
63M Provide habitat for wildlife and insects
64M Participate in "buy nothing" groups
65M Use public transportation
66M Take a train vacation
67M Make your own delicious soup from your own soup stock
68M Use laundry sheets instead of liquid detergent in plastic
69M Drink tap water or filtered tap water
70M Install a greywater system
71M Prefer glass bottles over plastic
72M Compost everything you can
73M Reduce your driving
74M Become a walker
75M Use a bicycle
76M Use less water
77M Record the electrical use of every device in your home
78M Use a programmable thermostat
79M Learn about LEED certification for your place of employment
80M Get your electricity from a solar farm
81M Get your property certified as wildlife habitat
82M Stop using pesticides and other poisons
83M Learn more about the non-recyclability of plastic
84M Reduce your purchase of clothing that sheds microfibers
85M Learn about organic gardening
86M Stop using synthetic fertilizers
87M Eat more vegetables
88M Adopt natural forms of tick abatement
89M Eat more fruit
90M Adopt natural forms of mosquito abatement
91M Install solar power at your home
92M Become a locavore or partial locavore
93M Cook with an air fryer instead of less efficient means
94M Make your own yogurt in an InstantPot
95M Take up solar cooking
96M Learn about all-season gardening
97M Stop using synthetic cleaners
98M Drive an electric car
99M Use a manual lawn mower
100M Take the train instead of the plane for mid-range trips
101M Get an energy audit for your dwelling
102M Cook with an InstantPot instead of less efficient means
103M Prefer groceries and products in minimal packaging and in paper instead of plastic
104M Keep durable metal eating utensils in your car and refuse plastic utensils
105M Keep stainless steel food leftover containers in your car and bring them into the restaurant
106M Use a stainless steel canteen for water on the go
107M Substitute closer more satisfying vacations for distant exotic vacations
108H Sell or give away anything you don't actually need
109H Buy organic food
110H Waste no food
111H Share your knowledge of sustainable practices and products
112H Research innovative sustainable products in development and give them early support
113H Reject the temptation to take "souvenirs" from nature
114H Learn about your local ecosystems
115H Learn about natural cleaners
116H Reduce your consumption in general
117H Don't make overpopulation worse
118H Learn more about nature in general
119H Learn about your local plants, animals and insects
120H Replace all or part of your lawn with a pollinator meadow
121H Learn about soil biology and soil health
122H Question every claim and every norm of the currently prevailing system of destructive consumption
123H Write to your representatives
124H Talk with others about issues of sustainability
125H Eat less pork
126H Eat less beef
127H Learn to appreciate the intangible and all its value
128H Practice frugality in all matters of purchasing
129H Study nature more and pay less attention to the works and doings of humanity
130H Learn to love all forms of non-fossil-fuel transportation
131H Stop buying synthetic "food" that damages your health and is manufactured in damaging ways
132H Buy natural cleaners
133H Accept that there is no "planet B"
134H Read aloud the ingredients in your "food"
135H Keep dead trees for use by birds, small mammals, insects
136H Adopt low-tech when it helps sustainability
137H Change your attitude about what constitutes "progress"
138H Change your attitude about what you "need"
139H Support the economy of the non-material
140H Buy experiences instead of products
141H Reduce your use of plastic
142H Reduce your use of fossil fuels in every way
143H Stop eating beef
144H Stop eating pork
145H Buy for durability
146H Calculate your carbon footprint
147H Grow some vegetables
148H Grow some fruit
149H Read and study sustainability and clean energy news sources
150H Never buy bottled water