Sustainable Inspiration: the Best Ideas for Sustainable Living
Whether you’re just getting started or well into your ethical living adventure, there’s always room for more sustainable inspiration.
Sometimes it can feel like a bit of a challenge to keep on the green path. That’s when having a go-to list of inspiring eco-friendly advice and options can come in handy.
Here are some tips, blogs and fashion ideas, perfect for your sustainable lifestyle. Bookmark this post and come back to it whenever you need a bit more motivation.
As always, remember that every choice taken with care is caring for the planet.
What do we mean by sustainable?
Before we get to sustainable inspiration, it helps to know what we mean by sustainable. There are various descriptions and definitions of sustainability. But for me, I think of sustainability as covering two key areas: people and planet.
Sustainable living for people means making choices that help and support everyone, not just you. It means thinking about the people behind the products, opportunities, and services you enjoy. It’s about being a global citizen and playing your role in our shared community.
Living sustainably for the planet is about ensuring that you reduce your use, living in a way that preserves the earth for future generations. It means leaving no trace as you make your mark in other ways – including through building a greener, healthier, and happier world.
However you define sustainability, don’t forget the personal dimension. Your choices have to be sustainable for you, too. It’s no use buying a household full of dried organic pulses but never having the time to soak them, so you end up buying fast food instead! Make the best choices you can, keeping people and planet in mind, and you’re on the right track for a sustainable lifestyle.
Sustainable tips
While we all love Kermit, he wasn’t quite right – it can be easy being green! Here are my top 5 sustainable tips to get you started and keep you going:
- Make small changes first. Go meat free one-day a week. Do secondhand September. Buy a fancy water bottle and bring it with you everywhere. These little changes help get you started on the journey of sustainability.
- Plan ahead. I find that the times I make the least green choices are when I’m in a hurry. Plan ahead and prevent the pinch, so you’ll always have the time to choose more sustainably.
- Get in the habit. Breaking a habit is hard – replacing it is much easier. Find your favourite products and make these your go-to choices. Get in the habit of cycling to work rather than driving. The more you do it, the easier it becomes.
- Use your networks. Sustainability is social! Take the eco-friendly journey with your friends and family and support each other along the way. That doesn’t mean create a culture of plastic stigma. It just means helping each other make better choices. Go to a vegetarian restaurant together. Take a gorgeous train journey for your next girls holiday. It all helps!
- Dust yourself off and try again.* It’s perfectly perfect to be imperfect. When you forget your keep cup but still need a coffee, get the to-go cup and remember the feeling of disappointment. That’s progress. Keep trying and you’ll find it gets easier and easier to keep up your sustainable inspiration. (*bonus points if you identified the Aaliyah reference!)
Top tip: keep yourself inspired with eco-friendly quotes! Find your favourite from my blog and make it the background of your phone, laptop, or tablet. That way, you’ll have some sustainable inspiration throughout your day.
Sustainable fashion inspiration
Making better fashion choices is how I got started on my sustainable living journey. Finding out about the ethical challenges of fast fashion really made me rethink my everyday living choices.
At the same time, I love clothes and like to invest time in my style. For me, wearing all organic cotton moo-moos was not an option. And luckily, it doesn’t have to be!
While there are lots of ways to be more green in your fashion choices, using online secondhand shops and sustainable fashion sites are two great ways to get started.
Online secondhand shops
There’s a special magic in pouring through the rails of charity shops and finding a perfect hidden gem. But you won’t always have the time it takes to sort through endless shelves before finding something for you. Luckily, there are now options for online secondhand shopping.
Whether it’s vintage or preloved (or a bit of both), you’re bound to find something for you at an online charity shop. Here are a few for your sustainable inspiration:
- Oxfam
- Re-fashion
- Ebay (some charities have official shops)
And here are a few online secondhand shops:
Top tip: find out how to make the most of online charity shops in my handy guide!
Sustainable fashion sites
Nowadays, there are lots (lots!) of amazing online sustainable fashion retailers. Here are a few of my favourites:
| Women’s | Men’s | Children | Shoes |
| Reformation Thought Mamoq Pact Know the Origin | Brother’s We Stand Rapanui Komodo Tentree | Little Green Radicals Tilly and Jasper Babipur Nurture Collective | Po-Zu Veja Allbirds Everlane |
Top tip: I’ve split these sites into men’s and women’s clothing, but many offer men’s, women’s, and gender neutral options. And don’t forget – a label is just a tool for marketing. If you love an item, who cares if it was men’s or women’s?
Sustainable bloggers
I’m not the only one helping out with sustainable inspiration online! I find so many exciting ideas, tips, and tricks from fellow bloggers. Give these guys a look!
Sustainable influencers
Ah influencers – you either love them or loathe them. But either way, flooding your feed with positive examples of living a greener life can really help with sustainable inspiration.
Check out a few that I follow:
What next?
Living more sustainably is all about doing the best you can for people and planet. I hope this post has given you some ideas and inspiration to start or continue your eco-friendly journey.
Now, it’s just for you to get shopping, get searching, and get started on a greener lifestyle.
