Live sustainably – 8 simple tips to consume sustainably

Do your resolutions for the new year also include "I live sustainably", "I want to do more for the environment" or "I want to consume sustainably"? Then we have 8 simple tips for you here that should encourage you to shop more responsibly and consume more sustainably while reducing your own ecological footprint as much as possible. You can implement them in everyday life without much effort.

Do you feel the same? Do you start the year highly motivated, want to get rid of bad habits, make a list of good resolutions for the new year and then find yourself a little overwhelmed with how to implement them?

In addition to good resolutions such as doing more sport, eating healthier, saving more money, spending more time with the family, many people list things like “I want to do more for the environment”, “I live sustainably” or “I want to consume more sustainably “. More environmentally friendly and sustainable behavior should become routine if possible. But the plan "From now on I'll live sustainably" and "I want to consume more sustainably" should also be put into practice. Therefore, we want to give you a few tips that you can implement easily and effectively. In our tips, we focus on the consumption and consumption of everyday things such as food, clothing, etc. Of course, this also includes targeted shopping and the question of how and where these things are produced. If you are already doing some of these or already have them on your to-do list: all the better!

And now for our tips to help you put your New Year’s resolution to consume more sustainably into action right away.

1. Less is better

One of the easiest ways to consume more sustainably is to buy less. You usually buy more than you really need. Food, for example, is wasted and ends up in the garbage because it spoils or you have cooked too much. Buy consciously and consider in advance what you actually need. Reduce your personal food waste with a precise shopping plan.
Or before your next shopping trip, take a look in your closet and think about what you really need. Think about your purchase decision and avoid impulse purchases and discount battles like Black Friday. (If you are interested in this topic, please read our blog post "Fuck Black Friday", https://hoofment.de/blogs/news/fuck-black-friday .)

2. Avoid disposable products

Living in a sustainable and environmentally conscious way also means avoiding disposable products that end up in landfill and cannot be recycled. Use reusable alternatives instead of disposable products. Instead of buying new plastic bottles, parchment paper, straws, etc., switch to recyclable alternatives. They are usually more expensive to buy, but save money in the long term and contribute to significantly less waste.

- Use washable fabric pads instead of make-up removal pads made of cotton.

- Buy straws made of glass or stainless steel instead of plastic straws.

- Instead of a coffee-to-go cup, bring a reusable cup or enjoy the coffee on site.

3. Above all, avoid plastic

 Since plastic is one of the biggest environmental problems - e.g. in the form of plastic waste in the sea - living sustainably means avoiding plastic as much as possible. For example, you can do without plastic bags when shopping and instead use vegetable nets, reusable containers, cloth bags, backpacks or shopping baskets. Or see if there is a zero waste store near you.
As already mentioned, avoid coffee-to-go cups, plastic straws and all plastic packaging. The microplastics found in care products, cleaning agents, etc. also have a heavy impact on our environment. Please read our blog post "What is microplastic and where does it come from?"

4. Value natural care products

Value care products that do without additives, microplastics and unnecessary packaging waste. Prefer natural and vegan cosmetics and care. You can also largely do without care products from the supermarket and switch to home remedies. At first, you could just switch to herbal bar soap for hair and body. You can simply use a soap bag or a tin for storage.

5. Drink tap water

Live sustainably and drink tap water. Not only do you save yourself unnecessary lugging of water bottles, you also save a lot of money. Tap water is safe to drink here and definitely tastes better than water from plastic bottles. It is better to use refillable drinking bottles than environmentally harmful plastic bottles when you are out and about. If you like drinking sparkling water, buy a sparkling water maker.

6. Reduce your meat consumption

Consuming in a more sustainable and environmentally friendly way means buying less meat and animal products or doing without them altogether. If you are not already vegetarian or even vegan, you should definitely buy less meat and look for better quality when buying. With many meat dishes you can simply reduce the amount of meat. Or you can add vegetarian or vegan days to the week. Consuming less eggs, cheese or milk is also an important contribution to environmental and climate protection and prevents animal suffering.

7. Buy local and seasonal products

Another important aspect of sustainable consumption is the choice of local and seasonal products. These usually have a shorter transport route, which contributes to a lower CO2 load. You also support local agriculture in your region. And: You eat fresher and healthier with it!

Find out when it's market day in your area. There you can buy regional vegetables that are not packed in plastic. You also support farmers and traders in your own area.

8. Buy sustainable clothes

Since we at "Hoofment" only sell sustainable equestrian fashion, this point is of course very important to us. For us, sustainable consumption means: No more fast fashion, where overproduction creates a lot of waste. Don't be lured by cheap prices and short-lived fashion trends, instead place more value on clothing that is made of sustainable materials (from renewable raw materials or recycling processes), is produced sustainably (produced in Europe, free of harmful substances, without the use of toxins) and is durable is. Buy your clothes from fair fashion labels, second-hand shops or flea markets.

Only clothing that lasts a long time and is worn frequently is sustainable. Therefore, buy specific clothing that is easy to combine and timeless.

Implementing sustainability in everyday life is not that difficult and can usually be done with little effort. Maybe our little tips will help you. Consuming more sustainably is definitely worth it, because every small contribution helps to reduce the burden on the environment and shape a more sustainable future. So just go ahead!

Of course, there are many other ways to consume more sustainably. Feel free to write in our comment box if you have tips and suggestions on this topic.