My 20 ways to live a sustainable life

Today I want to show you what I do to live a greener life. I'm a huge fan of change as long as it doesn't involve changing your whole way of life at once. Small adjustments here and there are more my cup of tea.

1. I never print anything I don't essentially need printed out.
2. I always print documents double-sided.
3. I use the blank side of receipts to make shopping lists or notes on.
4. Currently I don't use a dryer.
5. When I still had a dryer I used to collect the water from the dryer and use it to water plants.
6. I only iron blouses and shirts that need ironing.
7. I collect left over water in glasses and the kettle to water my plants.
8. I turn off the lights when I leave the room (unless I am too headless to remember ;)
9. I try not to use plastic wrap.
10. I almost always bring my own shopping bag - if not, I reuse the bags I buy as bin bags.
11. I separate my waste into plastic, paper, glass, metal and residual waste. And once we have a garden I'll be sure to also separate organic waste and compost it.
12. I try not to buy stuff I don't need and also only throw stuff (especially electrical gadgets) away that is actually broken.
13. If there is a choice between paper towels and hand dryer in bath rooms I use the air dryer.
14. I try to use as little paper towel and toilet roll as possible - it's amazing how much water one piece of paper towel can absorb.
15. I make my own body butter/body lotion, so there are no unnecessary chemicals in it. Here's a great recipe for homemade body butter.
16. I try to get every last drop out of paste tubes and shampoo bottles by cutting them open.
17. From September on I will live in walking-distance to my office.
18. I grow my own herbs, tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers. Of course it's not enough for for us yet, but it's a start.
19. I always use the cooking top on pots and pans and switch off the stove/oven a few minutes before the food is done, as the residual heat will be enough to finish the dish.
20. I am trying to reduce the number of actual books I buy and get ebooks instead.

Now that I've finished the list it seems to be quite long and extensive, but I feel like it only took a few little changes to get to where I am now. And, as a bonus, almost all are also great if one wants to save some money.

Xoxo, let yourself be inspired!