Everyday Low Effort Sustainability Hacks

Angle Conversation Output

This article is work-in-progress and will be completed with a list of tips and tricks to make our lifestyle a little bit more sustainable day by day. The list is based on outputs of the conversations on angle audio. The sustainability roundtable will be held on a bi-weekly basis on Thursdays at 12.15pm CET. Set a reminder and join here.

Travel & Commute

• Travel less and by train (night trains are a great option)
• Cycle or walk to work — or use public transport
• Stay with locals or in more sustainable hostels than big hotel chains

Food

• Reduce food waste at home
• Use apps such as “Too Good To Go” to buy food that’s about to go bad from restaurants and stores
• Switch to glass jars, paper bags and beeswax cloths to wrap and store food at home
• Carry a re-usable coffee cup and water bottle with you
• Take your own bags with you for grocery shopping and to buy fruits & veggies
• Grow your own herbs or even some veggies at home
• Buy local and seasonal fruits and vegetables

Home

• Use LED or CFL light bulbs and turn off the light when not needed
• Take shorter showers
• Use recycled toilet paper
• Use newspapers or old gift bags to wrap gifts
• Use cloths instead of paper towels for cleaning
• Try making your own cleaning products
• Go paperless — do everything you can digitally
• Recycle or donate electric devices and buy second-hand if you need a new device
• Give away things you don’t need anymore
• Live car-free or consider an electric car
• Recycle everything that can be recycled

Beauty

• Use fewer products and switch to sustainable ones such as a face oil instead of a three different face creams and serums
• Use re-usable cotton pads to clean your face
• Plan a few make-up free days per week
• Try shampoo bars
• Try tooth oil or other toothpaste alternatives
• Try switching to menstrual cups or re-usable pads

Fashion

• Buy second-hand clothes
• Share clothes with friends
• Build a capsule wardrobe of a limited number of pieces that all go together
• Wear the same outfit 2–3 days in a row
• Wash clothes less frequently — wash some of them by hand
• Slow fashion: If you buy something new, buy from sustainable and ethical brands
• Buy from local brands
• Fix your clothes yourself if they rip or if you lose a button
• Donate clothes to friends or institutions, who can use it (Note: Clothes Containers in most cities are not the best way to donate old clothes)

Apps & Platforms

• Too Good To Go: Buy food that’s about to go bad from restaurants
• Good On You: Look up fashion brands and read their rating on environmental impact, labour conditions and animal products — and get great alternatives
• CodeCheck: Scan beauty products to get an overview of ingredients to identify “clean” beauty products

More to be added after each sustainability session. 😊