When multiplied, actions can bring about big changes, which is what the world needs right now in terms of systemic changes. This guide, which is based on ideas from Conservation International, Kimberly + Paige, and others, gives you 75 useful, budget-friendly advice for living a greener life in 2025. These tips include important areas like house, food, travel, job, school, and personal care. You can protect nature and save money by using these methods in any place or lifestyle.
Upgrades to the home
Choose wrapping paper that can be recycled. Instead of glittering, non-recyclable wrapping paper, use butcher paper or newspaper. You may also use boxes that can be used again for gifts. Tip: Use old newspapers or bits of fabric to wrap things for free.
Stop using your dryer: Hang your clothes up to dry on a rack instead. This will save electricity, make your garments last longer, and lower your energy bill. Tip: You can find used drying racks at thrift stores for less than £10.
Change to LED lights. According to Conservation International, LEDs use 20% less energy than incandescent bulbs, which saves money and cuts down on emissions. Tip: Buy bulk LEDs from budget stores like B&Q to save money.
Clean Air Filters: To improve efficiency and minimise electricity use, hoover or rinse your HVAC filters every three months. Tip: Use an old hoover hose to clean for free.
Change the thermostat: In the summer, set it 7–10°F higher when you’re not home, and in the winter, set it lower. This will save you 10% on your energy expenses. For even more efficiency, add insulated drapes. Tip: Use old fabric to make curtains as a free update.
Use rechargeable batteries in your remotes instead of disposable ones to save money and cut down on trash. Tip: You may drop off old batteries at recycling centres for free.
Unplug Devices: Unplugging electronics while you’re not using them can save you 10% of your energy bill by getting rid of “phantom power.” Tip: For quick unplugging, get a used power strip for less than £5.
Choose Refurbished Electronics: To cut down on emissions from making new electronics and waste in landfills, buy old phones or laptops. Tip: Look for offers on eBay or at local repair shops for less than £100.
Extend the life of your phone: If you keep your smartphone for 3 to 4 years, you’ll save enough energy to power it for 10 years. When you upgrade, use free recycling services offered by the manufacturer.
Use solar chargers to charge your phones. This will save 7 kWh of energy per device each year and make you less dependent on the grid. Tip: Look for cheap solar chargers on online stores.
Insulate your home by sealing air leaks around windows and doors. This will keep 40% of the heat in, which will save you money on heating and cooling expenditures. Tip: Use leftover caulk from home improvement jobs to seal things for free.
Install solar panels: You may save up to 1.6 tonnes of carbon emissions every year with solar power that doesn’t produce any emissions. You can also save money on your bills with tax credits. Tip: Look into the ECO4 Scheme for funds that can help pay for the cost of installation.
Put Devices to Sleep: During breaks, set computers to low-power mode to save energy and keep the office cool. Tip: Use the free built-in OS utilities to change settings.
Use cold water to wash your clothes: You may save 90% of the energy your washing machine uses by washing full loads in cold water. Tip: Use old detergent bottles to store bulk cold-water detergent.
Use vinegar or baking soda to clean instead of cleaners that contain harmful chemicals and come in plastic packaging. Tip: Combine common pantry items to make free, effective cleansers.
Food
Dine In: Cooking at home requires less energy than going out to eat, which only utilises 35% of its energy to make meals. Tip: Cook in bulk using cheap local foods from discount stores.
Go without meat once a week: You may save 460 gallons of water and cut down on methane emissions by not eating beef one day a week. Tip: Get lentils and other cheap plant-based proteins from bulk bins.
Buy Local Produce: Pick CSA programs or farmers’ markets to cut down on the emissions from food that travels an average of 1,500 miles. Join a CSA to get “ugly” produce at a lower price.
Grow Your Own Food: Plant herbs or veggies on your windowsills to cut down on the emissions and packaging that come from food stores. Tip: Get free seeds from community exchanges to get started.
Compost Food leftovers: Instead of throwing away food leftovers, compost them to keep methane from being released into the air and make the soil richer. Tip: You can make a compost container for free out of used pallets.
Plan your meals and utilise up leftovers to cut down on food waste in the UK by 9.5 million tonnes a year. To save money, use leftover scraps to make broths.
Read the labels on food. To avoid processed foods and help environmentally friendly suppliers, choose local, organic goods. Use free apps like Yuka to scan labels for eco-friendly options.
Going places
To lower shipping emissions, choose “fewest packages” and “slowest delivery” when you check out. Tip: To save money on shipping, put together many items.
Use buses or trains every week to lower your commute emissions by 20%, according to Conservation International. Tip: Buy monthly bus passes to save money.
Bike to Work: If you ride your bike to work one day a week, you won’t have to drive that day, which will cut down on CO2 emissions. Tip: You can borrow bikes for free from local sharing programs.
Check the pressure on your tires: Keeping the right PSI can help you use less gas and produce fewer emissions. Tip: Get free air pumps at petrol stations around you.
Don’t use E-Scooters that don’t have docks. Instead, choose solar-powered or docked scooters to cut down on emissions from distribution vans that use a lot of gas. Tip: Use free city apps to rent bikes for a more eco-friendly way to get around.
Offset Flights: Buy carbon credits to safeguard natural places that store CO2, which cancels out the emissions from flights. Tip: To figure out offsets, use free calculators like Hawaiian Airlines’.
If you don’t want to fly, take a train (14g CO2/km) or a car (158g) instead. Planes (285g) release more CO2 than either of them. Choose direct flights to cut down on pollution. Trainline tip: Book your train tickets early to get them for less.
Visit Parks Off-Season: Go when it’s not busy to lessen the stress on ecosystems caused by too many tourists. Tip: Check out free park websites for scheduling during off-peak times.
Pack Light: Lighter bags require less fuel on planes, which is better for the environment. Tip: Use old backpacks as carry-on luggage.
Travel Without Plastic: Bring bags and bottles that can be used more than once, and stay away from hotel amenities and single-use plastics. Tip: You can get free containers for your toiletries by decanting them.
Pack Your Own Snacks: To cut down on plastic and paper waste, don’t buy snacks on the plane. Tip: Make reusable cloth napkins out of old fabric scraps.
Stay in Sustainable Lodging: Choose LEED-certified hotels to minimise water and energy use, which saves $2,200 per room each year. Tip: Look for eco-friendly hotels that are easy on the wallet on Green Key’s website.
Job
Use the stairs instead of the lift to save electricity and lower your office’s carbon footprint. Tip: Get your coworkers to work together for free.
Clean Your Inbox: To save energy from data centres (the same as driving 200 miles a year), delete outdated emails and unsubscribe from newsletters. Use free programs like Cleanfox to clear up your inbox automatically.
Spearhead Recycling: To cut down on the 45% of office paper waste that isn’t recycled, set up containers for paper recycling. Tip: Use old containers as bins for free.
Digitise Communications: Use DocuSign or email scans to sign documents electronically instead of on paper. Tip: Get free e-signature tools for modest jobs.
Use business cards that are good for the environment: Choose cards that are made from recycled materials or trees, or use QR codes to go digital. Tip: Use LinkedIn to make free QR codes for networking.
Work from Home Weekly: If you work from home one day a week, you can lower your emissions from commuting by 20%, which could save the country 54 million metric tonnes. Tip: Use Zoom or another free video conferencing tool to work from home.
Allow Employees to Work from Home: Managers may cut down on emissions and save the organisation thousands of dollars by letting employees work from home part of the time. Tip: Use free scheduling software like Calendly to schedule your telework.
School
Green Classrooms: Don’t use glitter or Styrofoam for crafts; instead, use recycled paper or acid-free glue. Tip: Get free recycled materials from school drives.
Use Reusable Lunch Bags: Instead of paper bags, use wax paper or reusable sandwich bags to cut down on trash. Tip: You can get used lunch boxes for less than $5 at thrift stores.
Encourage Cafeterias Without Trays: Use plates to save water and cut down on food waste in school dining halls. Tip: Work with school clubs to run free campaigns to get people to vote.
Care for Yourself
Don’t use plastic trash bags. Instead, use paper bags or wash buckets to avoid plastics that take 100 years to break down. Tip: Use used grocery bags again for free.
Make Your Own Cleaners: For cleaning without chemicals or plastic, mix baking soda or vinegar. Tip: For remedies that don’t cost anything, keep them in old jars.
Don’t buy fast fashion. Instead, choose natural textiles like cotton or linen over polyester, which takes decades to break down. Tip: Look for cheap clothes made of natural fibres at thrift stores.
Use Washing Bags: Protect rivers by using Guppyfriend bags to catch microplastics from synthetic garments. Tip: To save money, share bags with your neighbours.
Buy loose-leaf tea in bulk instead of teabags with plastic lining. Tip: Store for free in jars that you already have.
Bring Reusable Bags: Keep reusable bags in your car or backpack so you don’t have to use plastic bags at the store. Tip: You may make bags for free out of leftover fabric scraps.
Use Paper for Pet Waste: Instead of plastic bags, use newspaper or toilet paper to clean up after your pets. Tip: Get free newspapers at stands in your area.
Choose Eco-Cosmetics: Use makeup that is vegan, not tested on animals, and comes in recyclable packaging. Tip: For cheap solutions, shop at local zero-waste stores.
Don’t use scrubs or toothpaste with plastic microbeads. They damage the oceans by 8 trillion every day. Tip: You can make your own scrubs for free with sugar or coffee grounds.
No plastic in the bathroom: To cut down on plastic waste, use toothpaste tablets, bar soap and bamboo toothbrushes. Tip: To save money, use old containers for toiletries.
Don’t use wet wipes; instead, use washable cloths. Don’t use wipes that are made of plastic and break down into microplastics. Tip: You can make wipes for free by cutting up old towels.
Choose glass, metal, or paper packaging over plastic, which is typically exported overseas. This helps local recycling. Tip: Look at RecycleNation to find free recycling opportunities in your area.
Get Paper-Wrapped Paper Products: To cut down on plastic waste, buy toilet paper that comes in paper packaging. Tip: Buy in bulk to save money.
Use bar soap instead of liquid soap. Bar soap comes in packages that don’t contain plastic, which cuts down on the amount of plastic waste from liquid soap bottles by billions of pounds. Tip: For cheap bars, shop from local artists.
Don’t Use Plastic Straws: When you eat out, ask for no straws to help keep plastic out of the ocean (8 million metric tonnes a year). Bring a free reusable straw with you.
Bring your own mugs for coffee or water at work to cut down on the amount of disposable cups that can’t be recycled. Tip: You can get vintage cups from thrift stores for less than $2.
Don’t buy bottled water; use a reusable container instead. It takes 2,000 times less energy to make than tap water. Tip: Use an empty bottle to stay hydrated for free.
Don’t use single-use items like plastic coffee pods, utensils, or razors. Instead, choose bulk or reusable options. To save money, buy coffee beans in bulk from local roasters.
Use Washable Cloths: Instead of paper towels, use fabric cloths made from old t-shirts to cut down on trash. Tip: You can sew scraps into clothes for free.
Bring a Handkerchief: To cut down on paper waste, use washable handkerchiefs instead of disposable tissues. Tip: Use discarded fabric to make free handkerchiefs.
Use Organic Glue: For school projects, choose glues that don’t include petrochemicals to cut down on toxins in landfills. Tip: Look for cheap options at craft stores in your area.
Sustainable Living Every Day
Walk or bike: Use active transportation like walking or biking to lower your emissions and save money. Tip: Get bikes for free from community programs.
Carpool: Share transportation once a week to cut down on traffic and pollution, which is good for the health of the community. Tip: Use free applications like Nextdoor to plan.
Choose Electric Vehicles: Compared to petrol automobiles, EVs produce a lot less pollution, and new technology is making them cheaper. Tip: Save money by buying used EVs from dealers in your area.
Recycle Electronics: Use local recycling programs to get rid of e-waste, which is the fastest-growing type of waste. Tip: Check out RecycleNation for free drop-off places.
Sign Petitions: Sign climate action petitions on a regular basis to call for change in the system. Tip: Sign up for free sites like Change.org to get things done quickly.
Get rid of fossil fuels: Move your bank accounts or pensions from fossil fuel investors to greener options. Tip: Use free resources like Bank.Green to learn more about green banks.
Talk About Climate: Talk to your friends about sustainability to raise awareness and get them to do something. Tip: Use local libraries to hold free community discussions.
Reuse water: Use shower or pasta water to water plants or flush the toilet to save water. Tip: Collect free water in old buckets.
Take Short Showers: Limit your showers to 5 to 10 minutes to save 10 to 25 gallons of water each time. Tip: Get a free shower timer from a local conservation group.
Join the No-Mow Movement: To save 3 trillion gallons of water every year, replace your lawn with native plants or an edible garden. Tip: Get free native seeds from community exchanges.
Sustainable tips that won’t break the bank
Use old jars, textiles, or t-shirts to make cleansers, bags, or wipes to save money.
Use free resources: recycling programs, apps like Yuka, or community seed swaps are all ways to be more environmentally friendly without spending any money.
Buy things used: You can get drying racks, mugs, or EVs for less than $50 at thrift stores or eBay.
Use Pantry Staples: You may make cleaners or compost with vinegar or scraps you already have, which costs nothing.
Advocate for Free: Use free sites like Change.org or Nextdoor to sign petitions or set up carpools.
Ideas for living sustainably
Green Kitchen: For a low-waste diet, cook using food that is grown locally, compost wastes, and use containers that can be used again.
Eco Commute: For a workday with less carbon, bike or carpool once a week with a reusable coffee cup.
Mindful Home: For a cheap, green room, switch to LEDs, unplug devices, and cultivate herbs on your windowsill.
You may make a smaller impact on the environment in 2025 by following these 75 recommendations for living sustainably, such as composting and not using single-use plastics. You may establish long-lasting habits that protect nature, save money, and inspire your community by starting small, using free resources, and making gradual changes.