18 Really Simple Changes That'll Help The Planet

When it comes to looking after the planet, every little helps 🌍.

We recently asked the BuzzFeed Community what tips they had for being more being more green. Here are some of the most useful responses!

1. When ordering multiple items on sites like Amazon, select the option to have them packaged together.

Justin Sullivan / Getty Images

"Whenever I order things online, I always group products together to reduce packaging waste."

—katiegrace28

2. Instead of buying physical copies of books and magazines, download them instead.

Nintendo

Aside from the obvious reusable water bottles, straws, etc. I’ve found that buying less physical things is a great start! For example, instead of buying a physical copy of a game or magazine, try downloading it instead!

—erinm44c850712

3. If you have periods, switch from using tampons to a menstrual cup.

Flickr: excel-chan

"Buying a menstrual cup is a great start for anyone trying to be eco-friendly. It's better for your wallet too!"

—lottem2

4. And if you shave, try switching to a safety razor with reusable blades.

Grooming Essentials Blog

"For those who shave their legs, face, armpits or various other body parts: switch to a safety razor! This has saved me so much money – the blades cost next to nothing and come wrapped only in paper, so everything is recyclable. It might look scary at first but you get used to it very quickly."

—anneonymous67

5. Use reusable cloth napkins instead of paper towels.

VH1

"I recently stopped keeping paper napkins or paper towels in my house. Cloth napkins, reusable cleaning cloths, and dish towels do all the jobs without the waste. It’s embarrassing how often I’d grab a paper towel just because it was there. It's an easy swap that doesn’t take any extra effort."

—amyl42e3dfc0f

"This year we decided to switch to cloth napkins for all our meals, whether at the dining table or in front of the couch."

—stephaniev23

6. Cut down on plastic packaging by switching from shower gels to bar soap.

Dove

"Buy unpackaged solid soaps and shampoos. They actually last double the length of time so it doesn’t even end up costing you more than normal soap."

—izzied4b7814b1c

"The small things really make a difference – instead of using handwash/shower gel which comes in a plastic container, you could switch to bar soap."

—hellothereeveryone

7. And If you have a little one, try using cloth baby wipes and washable nappies.

Nickelodeon

If you get periods, cloth, washable sanitary pads and/or a menstrual cup. Switching to reusables has almost made it nice to get my period!

If you have a baby, cloth nappies make a massive difference to waste (even just using part time), and give you more control over the environmental impact as you can choose how to wash and dry them. Cloth baby wipes are amazing too - much more effective than the flimsy disposable kind so your hands stay cleaner as well.

—emmat439379135

8. Upcycle your old clothes as a way of refreshing your wardrobe.

MTV

"I up-cycle my old jeans into skirts. Not a fan of past pants/jeans? Well cut those bitches at the knee, sew those legs together, and BOOM – skirt!"

—natalyec

9. And on your next shopping spree, try buying second-hand clothes at thrift stores.

Macklemore LLC

"I'm trying to buy less and ideally second hand while donating or re-selling what I don't need. So far, I've been able to buy most of my newer sweaters/tops/blazers at great second-hand stores near me!"

—zainabh3

10. Put a recycling bin in your bathroom as well as in your kitchen.

NBC

"Most people really don’t think about it because it’s in their kitchen, but shampoo bottles, toilet paper rolls and many other things in your bathroom are perfectly recyclable!"

—jello613

11. Reuse any plastic bags as garbage bags.

FUTURESTATESTV

"Use plastic shopping bags from places like target or those Chinese takeout bags as garbage bags. It’s cheaper than buying garbage bags and they are the same quality as a regular garbage bag. I used this trick throughout college and it saved me and my roommate a lot of money!"

—lunawolf1216

12. When ordering takeout, request that the meal doesn't come with plastic utensils or paper napkins.

NBC

—smbravo213

13. And if you're into cooking, keep a small herb garden in your kitchen.

Primrose / Via primrose.co.uk

"I’m no gardener, but we have a small herb garden. Easy for our apartment, and handy whenever we need something! We started doing this because it saved us money, but it really has the added bonus of helping us go green."

—alexandraadlerm

14. Drink tap water instead of buying bottled water.

HBO

"For the love of all that is holy, the overwhelming majority of us have clean, safe drinking water literally flowing from the faucets and yet people still insist on buying bottled water all the time."

—frontrow333

15. And if you're fussy about the taste of tap water, invest in a reusable filter.

Amazon

"They really improve the taste of the water and filters are cheap and last for ages."

–hanifahrahman

16. Switch to eating one vegetarian or vegan meal a day.

Warner Bros.

"I eat one vegan meal a day. I pack a vegan lunch for myself to be sure I stick with it. When I do eat meat, it's locally sourced."

—mrsh810

"To cut down on meat - especially beef - as the meat industry is one of the largest polluters of the planet. It doesn't mean you should entirely stop but cutting down does make a difference."

—summermg

17. Where you can, buy fresh produce from your local markets or greengrocer.

Great Big Story / Via giphy.com

"Buy local! Not only are you supporting your community, you also aren’t buying from factories that pollute and use so much of our water!"

—kayliev3

18. And finally, try making your own cleaning products using ingredients from your own kitchen.

Fox

"Switch to white vinegar and baking soda. These 2 substances can clean just about anything for you, and they have multiple uses and are less harsh than the chemicals other products."

–Dawn Ying, Facebook comment.

Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.

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