24 Small Everyday Changes That'll Help Make The Planet A Better Place

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

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

🌍Of course, it goes without saying that holding corporations accountable is a vital part of fighting climate change, but there are simple, everyday changes that can be powerful when it comes to producing less waste, improving our communities, and saving money. 🌍

1. If you're buying clothes, try looking in second-hand shops first.

Macklemore LLC

"Thrifting and buying second-hand clothes instead of new fast fashion! Way more sustainable, a lot of the shops are run by charities so your money will hopefully go on to help someone else, and also saves you so much money compared to buying straight from a store."

—eggstacy

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

MTV

"Upcycle, recycle, and cycle! 'Make-do-and-mend' was my parents' generation's motto and one we could all adopt. Mend your clothes, upcycle your furniture, cycle to work (if you can) – be realistic around your own lifestyle!

—chocolateat22

3. Put a recycling bin in your bathroom.

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

4. Turn off the water while brushing your teeth.

Screen Gems

"When you don't turn it off, there's so much waste going down the drain. Shut the tap off until you need the water again – so easy!"

—d4bc79428e

5. Instead of using disposable makeup removal wipes, switch to a reusable cloth to clean your face.

We The Best

"Saves so much money on other makeup removal products and reduced the number of wipes being thrown away."

—ariek928

6. Use bars of soap and solid shampoo instead of liquids in bottles.

Nickelodeon

"Since making the switch I've noticed bar soap lasts longer than my old liquid body washes, plus it takes up way less space in the bathroom – win win!"

–hanifahrahman

"They actually last double the length of time so it doesn’t even end up costing you more than your old soap."

—izzied4b7814b1c

7. If it's safe where you live: drink tap water!

HBO

"For the love of all that is holy, the overwhelming majority of people have clean, safe drinking water literally flowing from the faucets and yet they insist on buying bottled water all the time. I just don't get it."

—frontrow333

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

Michael Blann / Getty Images

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

–hanifahrahman

9. When ordering multiple items online, check if there's an option to have them packaged together.

Fox

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

—katiegrace28

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

Nintendo

"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

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

Getty Images

"They’re so comfortable, and also washable after every use! Not only are you helping the environment and reducing the waste that piles up from disposable tampons/pads, but you also save money! AND you can still wear your cute underwear!"

—somenortherner

12. But if you're really not into cup life, why not give menstrual underwear a go?

Distributed by United International Pictures

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

Nickelodeon

"We recently started cloth diapers the amount of diapers a child can use in a year is insane. We also switched to cloth wipes and toilet paper as well."

—ehowell014

"They are easy to use, clean, and are cute as hell."

—tiffanyjb

14. And of course, for the foreseeable future at least – reusable face masks!!!

CBS

—lhuicheng19

15. 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

16. Use old socks and clothes you can't donate as cleaning rags.

Comedy Central

"You can’t donate old socks and underwear to second-hand stores, and at least where I live, the fabric won’t be recycled."

—ginaw4a043c22b

17. Swap single-use products like paper napkins to washable cotton ones

VH1

"I switched a lot of my disposable products out for reusable ones; less paper products, I swapped disposable cotton balls for washable cotton rounds, but the big change was I stopped using disposable period products. Better for the environment, and I'm also continuously stunned by how much money I save."

—emilym4e8497a33

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

NBC

—smbravo213

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

20th Century Fox

"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

20. Try and avoid overwashing and tumble drying clothes to prolong their life.

Nickelodeon

"Take care of what you have. Invest in keeping your clothes nice so you don’t have to buy new ones. Skip drying your clothes or overwashing them to make sure they last you a long time. I have a windbreaker that I still use from 10 years ago! Keep stuff nice and make it last as long as you can."

—marsinsvestigations

21. Switch to eating one vegetarian or vegan meal a day or week.

Warner Bros.

"I could never go completely vegan or vegetarian, but I rarely purchase red meat now and eat mostly fish, chicken, and turkey. Set realistic goals and enjoy in moderation!"

—carlyl471ebac9a

"Cutting 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

22. 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

"Eat local and seasonal as much as you can! Industrial food producers wreak havoc on the environment."

—akylam

23. Be a mindful shopper.

Warner Bros. Pictures

"If I have learned anything from the spark joy decluttering craze it’s that we have a tendency to buy things we don’t need, which leads us to later discard A LOT. I've found this is the best way to reduce our waste."

—kilodelta5

24. And finally, get out into nature as much as you're able to.

Toho

"Spend more time outside. The benefits it has for our physical and mental health are astronomical and the more we enjoy nature the more willing we are to go above and beyond to protect it."

—trilingualmom

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

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