How to Live a Sustainable Life without Leaving the City

Just last year I started really caring about the planet and my personal contribution to climate change. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve always passively cared about the environment, but recently my perspective changed. I stopped seeing these problems as things happening outside of me, that I have no control over, and started wondering how I can help as an individual. Every choice that we make as citizens and consumers have the power to impact the trajectory of our future on earth.

Honestly, I got really overwhelmed by this at first. There were just too many problems and too many things that I needed to change. Next thing I knew, I was planning how I would move out of my high-rise condo and into a solar powered home with two goats and a big garden. But was this truly the answer? If I decided that I needed to leave the city to live a sustainable lifestyle, then was I admitting defeat on behalf of all those who will ever live in cities for time to come? This didn’t make sense. It had to be possible to be good to the planet while living in the city. And the truth is, it is possible. It’s just a little different.

Make a List of Changes

I started by figuring out what I can change and what I can’t. Making a list like this helps you focus on things where you can have a positive impact right now. It also prevents you from getting too overwhelmed (like I did). Everyone’s list will look a little different, depending on where you live!

Here's My List

Things I Can’t Change Right Now

1. Things that my apartment building has control over (electricity, water, waste, materials etc)
2. The existence of factory farming
3. The existence of mono-crops and pesticides
4. I have a gas powered car
5. The availability of sustainable options in my area (food, materials etc)
6. The ineffectiveness of plastic recycling
7. Waste being put into landfills

Things I Can Change Right Now

1. Reduce the amount of water and electricity I use in my own home
2. Support companies that supply sustainable and ethical animal products
3. Support companies that supply sustainable produce
4. Use the car less
5. Support shops that supply sustainable options, and request sustainable options from shops that don't
6. Buy non-plastic options where I can
7. Buy waste-free options where I can

Take It One Change at a Time

Some of these changes that I want to make are very broad. So, to help me reach my goals, I create an actionable plan for each of them. It’s important to take it one step at a time, and then update your goals as you achieve them.

Goal: Reduce the amount of water and electricity I use in my own home.

Plan: Turn off lights when I’m not using them. Turn off the tap while I’m brushing my teeth.

Goal: Support companies that supply sustainable and ethical animal products.

Plan: Save money by purchasing less meat and animal products. Spend the extra money on organic, pasture-raised options.

Goal: Support companies that supply sustainable produce.

Plan: Save money by growing some of my own herbs and vegetables. Spend the extra money on organic, local produce.

Goal: Use the car less.

Plan: Walk, bike, or take public transit whenever I can.

Goal: Support shops that supply sustainable options, and request sustainable options from shops that don't.

Plan: Be willing to travel 10 minutes further away to get the more sustainable option. Tell restaurants and shops near me, that I want sustainable alternatives to their products.

This is often referred to as "voting with your dollar". You are using the power of supply and demand, to have an impact on the decisions companies make in the future!

Goal: Buy non-plastic options where I can.

Plan: Pick 3 common items that I currently buy in plastic, and buy a plastic-free version. (I chose to buy reusable produce bags, deodorant in a cardboard case, and plastic-free shampoo bars)

Goal: Buy waste-free options where I can.

Plan: Find out what items I can buy from bulk/zero-waste stores, and commit to buying them from those stores instead of from traditional stores with single-use packaging.

A Little Bit Extra Can Go a Long Way

The truth is, city folk can be sustainable too, sometimes it’s just a little more effort than what we are used to. A lot of changes require me to think about my perspective when I’m making decisions. Two qualities that are very important to me are convenience and affordability. However, sometimes the option that’s better for the planet can be a little more expensive or a little less convenient. Sometimes, when things seem too expensive or inconvenient, I ask myself if the positive impact I am having is worth the extra time or money. The answer is usually yes, but not always, because I'm not perfect.

I think it’s important to remember to take this process one step at a time. Nobody should expect themselves to change everything overnight. We don’t need a world with a few people committing to be perfect, we need a world with a lot of people committed to trying their best.

I will be posting more stories about specific ways to live more sustainably in the city, stay tuned!

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