Living sustainably doesn’t mean you have to make big sacrifices or drastic changes. But taking small steps to make your lifestyle more eco-friendly can add up to make a big impact.

Here are some easy ways to go green and live a greener, more mindful life after 60.

Start at Home

Your home is the perfect place to start your sustainability journey, especially as you probably spend more time here than anywhere else.

There are a few ways to make your home more sustainable, including upgrading to energy-efficient appliances and LED lights, weatherproofing your windows and doors, adding insulation, and investing in affordable solar power to cut your energy bills and reduce your reliance on fossil fuels.

Minimize Food Waste

Reducing food waste is another easy and impactful way to live more sustainably—and it’s more cost-effective, meaning that you get the most value from the money you’re spending on groceries.

If you don’t already, plan your meals in advance to avoid buying food you don’t end up using. Another great option is to compost your food scraps, and this is possible even if you only have a small outdoor space. Compost enriches soil and keeps organic waste out of landfills, where it would otherwise contribute to greenhouse gases.

Choose Reusable Over Disposable

How many cups, containers, and bags do you currently throw out? If the answer is “a lot”, you’ll be able to lead a more sustainable lifestyle simply by switching disposable items for reusable ones. Invest in good quality reusable shopping bags, water bottles, and coffee cups, as well as washable cleaning cloths and reusable dish sponges.

Moving over to your wardrobe, make sure any new clothing that you buy is made from durable, eco-friendly materials (just search “eco-friendly clothing brands” if you want to do more research) and donate unwanted items instead of discarding them.

Walk More, Drive Less

Cars, buses, and other fuel-burning modes of transport are a big contributor to greenhouse gases. If we all made the effort to walk or cycle on small trips, we’d be making a significant difference to CO2 emissions in our towns or cities. If public transport is available where you live, this is a cost-effective and eco-friendly alternative to driving.

For those occasions when you’ll still need to use your car, make sure to keep it well-maintained, so it’ll run more efficiently and produce less emissions. 

Go Paperless When You Can

It wasn’t long ago that all our bills, magazines, bank statements, and marketing materials were delivered to us in paper format. Now, thankfully, many services offer paperless options.

Going digital saves paper and eliminates the need for unnecessary energy to print and deliver physical mail. If you’re not a fan of tech, consider starting small by going paperless for one or two of your accounts.

Takeaway

It’s hard to be perfect when it comes to leading a sustainable lifestyle—and, in fact, focusing on perfection is likely to leave you feeling so overwhelmed that you do nothing at all.

Start by making small changes, and feel proud that you’re doing your bit to protect the planet.