12 Sustainable Habits for the Busy Family
Are you someone who wants to develop sustainable habits since it’s better for the earth, but are so busy and taxed that sometimes paper plates are easier? Say no more. I am here with you! I love being outside and I am HUGE on leaving no trace and trying to live a more sustainable lifestyle, but sometimes life gets in the way. Here are 12 sustainable habits busy families can adopt in the craziness of life.
Why Choose Sustainability?
First of all, living more sustainably can often mean you are letting fewer toxins into your home. Fewer toxins = healthier you and healthier kids. Secondly, have you seen photos of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch? I think we can all agree that trash (specifically plastic) should not be in the ocean. Thankfully, there are great nonprofit organizations, like The Ocean Clean Up, pioneering ways to clean up the mess that already exists. That frees us up to think about reducing our contribution to the problem. The pollution experienced in the world from plastic is already an issue for us, but is going to be even more of an issue for our kids which brings me to my third reason. Let’s choose to educate our kids about how to live more sustainably and instill in them a desire to take care of this beautiful planet we call home. Partner with your kids and model how to develop sustainable habits so that it becomes a regular rhythm in your life!
My Sustainability Fails
Before I can talk about ways you can live sustainably even as a busy family, here are my sustainability fails. When you think about switching to more sustainable habits, it is going to take some discomfort and some trial and error. Instead of feeling guilty about all the ways sustainability isn’t possible for you right now, think about the things you can implement that make a big difference. Every family, no matter how busy, can choose a few sustainable habits to incorporate into their lifestyle.
- Cloth diapers: I tried. I researched, I registered for cloth diapers (no one bought us any), I shopped on facebook marketplace, I ordered ALL the things so we could be successful and we STILL failed at this. Disposable diapers are horrible for the environment. I know this, and we still couldn’t make it work. There were several contributing factors to this. First of all, my husband hated it. Fair. Secondly, I have small babies and the diapers leaked like crazy. I was already dealing with postpartum anxiety so it felt really overwhelming. Third of all, daycare wouldn’t use them. They would just switch her to disposable when they changed her for the first time. Fourth, I could not find a good cleaning rhythm while working full-time outside of the home. We had an HE washer and I tried all the tricks, but they still just smelled awful. I applaud the families who can figure this out! Way to go! At the same time, I do not feel any shame with saying that it is not for us. We can choose to be sustainable in other areas.
- Plastic plates and cups: Although I introduced glass cups and containers to my kids when they were very young, we still have plastic plates, bowls, and cups for them (thank you Target). Plastic is AWFUL for the earth and pretty terrible for humans because of Phthalates (read more here), but is also incredibly convenient for kids. They can’t break plastic. Wait, I take that back. They probably could find a way to do that, but for the time being, they haven’t 🙂
- Paper Towels: When my oldest was born, I bought bamboo reusable paper towels, but I accidentally threw away the paper towel tube they came rolled on. Woops. I was stuck with great reusable paper towels and no way to store them. I tried storing them in a basket, drawer, or on the counter, but nothing really worked. They absorbed pretty well, but it just wasn’t the first thing we reached for. So, for the time being, we still use paper towels.
How in the world do I fit this into our already busy life?
This is a great question! It can feel super overwhelming to try to fit another thing into your already FULL life. That’s why I’m here. I am always looking for simple hacks to live a more sustainable lifestyle without adding other steps and routines. Let’s chat about 10 ways busy families can incorporate sustainable habits into their life!
12 Ways Busy Families can live more sustainably
This list is by no means meant to be exhaustive, but it does include easy ways our family has found to work sustainable habits into our busy life and I hope it is helpful as you make decisions for your family!
1. glass storage jars
Yes, I am talking canning jars! I store EVERYTHING in these. Chocolate chips, dried fruit, weird snack leftovers (I’m talking about you potato chips), cereal, pretty much anything. I love them because they make food look pretty and appetizing! Reducing food waste is a great way to live sustainably, but it can be super challenging when you are a busy family. Making food look appetizing is a great trick for reducing the food waste in your pantry. I like the pint and quart-sized jars for most things. You can also buy plastic lids which are much nicer to look at and easier to use!
2. Glass Food Storage Containers
I don’t know about you, but grocery shopping once per week is about all we could handle when both my husband and I were working outside of our home. Glass storage containers keep food FRESH for so much longer! I wash and cut up our veggies each week so they are already prepped (read: easier to eat) and store them in glass. They last ALL WEEK and are FRESH. I get super weird about wilted or unappetizing produce, so this is one of my favorite hacks! Glass also doesn’t leak things into your food and won’t cause any weird chemical reactions when you heat it up. The lids we use do sometimes crack, but you can find replacement ones or just recycle the containers! Sustainable and delicious habit for the win!
3. Stasher Bags
Since we are talking about food storage, let’s talk about stasher bags! I bought one 5 years ago and used it often, but not consistently. Fast forward to now. I have 3 kids which means we would use A LOT of ziplock bags if I packed individual lunches for everyone on our adventures. I looked into bento boxes, but they were too heavy for me to carry on hikes and on all of our outdoor adventures (my kids are all under 5 at the time of this writing). So, I bit the bullet and bought a starter set of Stasher bags during a sale. I LOVE them! They aren’t as hard to clean as I originally anticipated, the kids can all open them, and they are light and easy to carry! I don’t even reach for plastic ziplocks anymore when I pack lunch. This is such an easy sustainable habit to incorporate into your busy life! I highly recommend getting the “bowls” which have a wider base, the sandwich bags, and snack-sized bags. I haven’t found a good use for the quart-sized bag yet, but I’m sure I will eventually.
4. cloth napkins
I never thought I would be someone who used cloth napkins, but I am learning to never say never. When my grandmother passed away, my mom decided to start using her antique linens on a daily basis rather than letting them sit in storage. Everyone chose a cloth napkin in the morning and then left it at their seat to use throughout the day. I felt inspired by her so I decided to invest in Geometry House cloth napkins. I had heard so many good things about Geometry House and it turns out they were TRUE! They absorb fabulously, wash super well, and are CUTE (which is important). I only bought 6 to start with because I didn’t know if it would be a good fit for our family, but my kids and I consistently use them anytime they are clean! Just like my mom, we each choose one for the day (or a few days if they aren’t super dirty), and leave it folded on the back of our chairs when we finish a meal. My kids complain when they are in the wash (which means it is definitely time to get more!!) and I actually love the feeling of using cloth rather than paper. I already wash towels weekly so I didn’t have to add another routine into my life by switching to cloth napkins. Remember, my goal is always to keep living simply. Here’s the thing about sustainable habits. I know I’m consistently choosing to live more sustainably, but I don’t feel pressure to do it perfectly. That gives me the freedom to use paper napkins when we need to and prioritize cloth most of the time.
5. Reusable Water Bottles
I grew up in the desert so I learned from a young age to bring water with me whenever I left the house. I remember my parents washing out single use plastic water bottles to reuse them. One of my chores was to fill them halfway and freeze them so that when we left the house we just had to fill them up the rest of the way and bring them with us. That way, our water stayed cold in the Arizona heat. I am SO THANKFUL there are so many cute reusable water bottles out there now! Make sure to grab a glass or stainless steel water bottle (not plastic!). We love using Thermos for our kids and hydroflask for me and my husband. My kids have learned to fill their water bottles every morning and I always load them up before we go anywhere. Bonus, using glass or stainless steel water bottles is a great way to reduce your kids’ exposure to toxins found in plastic too!
6. Shop Second Hand
This one can be an immediate turn-off for people, but hear me out! A few years ago, my husband started buying Patagonia quarter zips off of Ebay. He then figured out which size he was in adventure gear (pants, UPF shirts, et), and basically stocked his entire closet with great brands for a fraction of the price. Personally, I buy about 50% of my closet from Style Encore (a second-hand store chain) since I haven’t had quite the same success on Ebay. Our kids wear almost 100% second-hand clothing since they go through it so fast. I am picky about what I buy second-hand because I want it to be good quality so I make sure to examine it for stains, rips, solid seams etc (thank you childhood sewing lessons). I buy clothes from a friend who has a daughter a bit older than our girls, and am always asking for hand-me-downs from others. I try to shop second-hand first to see if I can find something in decent condition before buying full price. When I can’t find something second hand, I do buy things new, but I try to shop ethical companies and buy natural fibers.
7. Borrow Baby Gear
I was completely overwhelmed by the amount of items society said we needed when we had our first baby. I knew we would only use it for a short time and I didn’t want to store everything after the baby grew out of it. Thankfully, we were able to borrow a lot of things from others! We borrowed a swing, play mat, baby carriers, a bouncer, etc which helped us to figure out what we actually needed and what we didn’t end up using. People raise babies all over the world and we really don’t need as many gadgets as the market in the US says we do. Besides, half of the baby gear out there is actually just convenient for parents and not actually good for child development.
8. Toy Swap
You know how your kids complain about being bored or don’t end up playing with the toys they do have? Find a friend and swap toys every few months! Wooden blocks, Duplos, Picasso Tiles, or one-time-use toys (these are things that only have one purpose and can only be played with one way) are amazing things to share back and forth. Not only will your kids get excited about having new toys to play with, but you don’t have to buy and store it all yourself! It’s like the toy version of checking out books at the library. Oh, and if you weren’t convinced yet, owning fewer toys is actually good for kids and backed by science.
9. Use it up before buying more
My grandmother was so frugal that she used to combine all salad dressing together in one bottle once they got to the end. It was GROSS. I’m not suggesting we need to do that, but I think it’s important to look at our waste individually to figure out how to decrease it. A few years ago, I had to dive deep into our grocery spending and make some hard decisions about what I choose to buy and how we choose to eat so that we don’t have a lot of food waste. You can go through the same process with craft supplies, items in your garage, laundry and cleaning supplies, food, and office supplies. My old principal used to encourage us to “shop another teacher’s room” if we needed something before buying it. If you gather like items together and take a good look at what you have, you will be SHOCKED at how much you have (looking at you mini notebooks). After assessing the items you already have, find creative ways to use them, gift them, or recycle them to free up space and mental energy.
10. Be Intentional About what you Buy
Instagram ads are super compelling and hard to ignore, but the truth of the matter is that we are actually happier with fewer things and we don’t need nearly as many things as the internet says we do. Owning fewer things saves you money, causes you to make fewer choices (which is also scientifically proven to increase well being), and focuses you on experiences rather than things. Choose to buy passes to local attractions (zoo, children’s museum, science center) over toys for birthdays. Think really hard about how many clothes you actually need to own (and how many your kids need). Leave the items in your digital shopping cart for a day and come back to it to determine if you still want it. Have a plan or an idea of how you will fit the gym into your busy life before buying a membership. Think about your family values and use those to guide your decision-making when it comes to purchases.
11. Hire a local compost service
Many cities are now offering local composting services, but there are other ways to sustainably reduce your food waste too! Do a quick search for composting services in your area to see if any local farms need compost. There are a few services in my area that will pick up a bucket of compost weekly from my house! I categorize this as a utility service in our budget and love that it’s so easy! This is a great way to teach kids to really think about their choices.
Recycle your clothing with the Take Back Bag
I LOVE the Take Back Bag (and no, this is not an affiliate link). I started using the Take Back Bag in 2022 and will never not use it again! My kids are super rough on clothing (hello stains) and I don’t like to pass down stained or worn clothing to other people. That is where the Take Back Bag comes in. They turn the material you send in into insulation and carpet! You can read all about it here! It’s SUPER easy too! Buy a Take Back Bag, fill it with old shoes, stained clothing, socks with holes in them, bleached towels, etc, and then drop it off in the mail! You then get credit to spend on other websites (woohoo!). It’s a no-brainer for us. Again, I qualify this under utilities in our budget and always have at least one bag in my closet. I always have 2 bins in my closet so sorting is easy. One is for clothing I will sell/pass down to others and the other one is labeled “Donate.” Then, when I find worn clothing in the wash, I can easily throw it in the right bin and it’s already somewhat organized. I also do this when it’s time to switch my kids to the next clothing size. It’s a simple and manageable way to take care of a task that can feel super overwhelming!
Which of these 12 ideas sounds manageable to fit into your life? I’d love to hear from you!
Written by Emily Fedel, inspired by AI.
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