Sustainability is not about one person adopting a perfectly sustainable lifestyle. Sustainability is about each person across the planet taking one small step every day to adopt sustainability as a way of life. These 'SDG Tips for Daily Life' are simple suggestions that can help us live sustainabily.
Send electronic wedding invitations. Save paper.
Go paperless! Opt to receive digital letters and notices.
Transform old clothes into new garments. For example, a dress you don’t wear can be turned into a top or a skirt or shorts.
Found a tear in your clothes? Don’t discard it yet! Acquire basic sewing skills to patch holes and sew buttons back on. Or if you have a bigger job, take it to an alterations shop.
Repurpose old clothes as rags or donate to a local tailor if no longer wearable.
Expand your awareness on identifying sustainable materials when shopping.
Support brands that are ethical and environmentally conscious.
Going grocery shopping? Don’t forget to take your own cloth shopping bag. Ditch the plastic bag.
Opt for carpooling whenever possible. Great way to bond with people too!
This one’s for the bold ones - Ditch your car and embrace car-free living.
Need to scrape off some pet poo or other waste? Try using an old newspaper. Recycling in its easiest form!
Try purchasing and using recycled toilet paper with plastic-free packaging.
Use organic fertilizers. Identify and say no to harmful chemicals.
Hand wash your clothes instead of using the machine, particularly if you only have a few items to clean. If you wash your clothes using a machine, make sure the load is full.
Try hanging out your wet clothes on a drying line or rack instead of using a powered dryer.
Beat the winter chills by putting on an extra layer of clothing instead of turning on the heater. The coziness is an added benefit!
Use public transport. It’s also an excellent opportunity to catch up on reading and other things that you couldn’t do if you were driving.
Get some leg workout in. Take the stairs over the elevator. Build your health, save the Earth - all benefits rolled into one small action!
Get a bicycle, a second hand one if possible, and develop the habit of cycling around for your everyday commute.
Turn off your lights, fans, any other electric points when you leave a room.
Grow your own herbs, fruit and vegetables even if it’s just a few pots around the house, it all helps!
Use a bucket to bathe instead of shower. Can’t give up on your showers? Then start timing your showers. Or better yet, invest in a shower timer.
Try switching to LED lighting or CFL bulbs instead of incandescent lighting. CFLs use about 70% less energy than incandescent bulbs. They are also proven to last longer, which reduces the need to keep purchasing light bulbs, which saves not just money, but reduces waste as well.
If you open up your blinds / curtains and use the natural sunlight as much as possible, you will not just save up on your electricity bill, but also get more sunshine for your health and help save the Earth as well!
When you use a refillable water bottle and coffee cup, you help cut down on waste. Let’s refrain from drinking from that single use plastic cup.
When you shop local, you end up supporting neighborhood businesses in keeping their staff employed. Be sure to shop local. It also helps protect the environment by saving on the fuel that would have been otherwise consumed when things are ordered from far away distances.
Air dry your hair instead of using a blow-dryer.
We can contribute towards achieving the SDGs even when we are just sitting on our couch. Use your social media account to speak up about important facts and figures related to SDGs.
Use a bucket to water your plants instead of directly using a water tube to avoid water wastage.