Sustainable living seems idealized, but realistically overwhelming. When it comes to changing everything from the way we shop, consume products and even operate ourselves on a daily basis, it becomes so daunting that many people never start; they start to pout and give up before the major shift even begins.

But increased sustainability in one’s lifestyle doesn’t have to be an all or nothing approach. The more easily interchangeable or implementable options that exist within pre-existing habits, the better. Making an all-encompassing, ambitious change may feel good, but if one has to revert back to their old ways just a few weeks later, what’s the point?

Therefore, instead of trying to change it all, shift where possible to what makes the most sense with daily habits. It’s not about being perfect, but practical.

Utilize What’s Used the Most Anyway

Use what’s most used anyway. The things that a person uses day in and day out, one would assume those with single-use intent (and intent to throw away and/or replace), are the best candidates for sustainable options.

For example, far too many single-use items exist. Disposable water bottles and coffee cups, shopping bags, plastic food storage containers are all still abundant. Implementing reusables creates a sustainable option without even changing a person’s habits—just requiring a little more consciousness to bring a reusable instead of opting for the disposable.

Water bottles are a perfect example. Switching to stainless steel bottles means one bottle can replace hundreds or thousands of disposable ones over time. They keep drinks at the right temperature, they’re durable enough to handle daily wear, and they don’t require any complicated maintenance. It’s one purchase that eliminates an ongoing stream of waste without asking anyone to change their actual behavior around staying hydrated.

The same goes for coffee cups/lunch containers/shopping bags. These are also easy transitional replacements because they replace things with no longevity that were already in use for the same purpose. One doesn’t have to adjust their entire system and remember different steps; just use what lasts instead of what goes to waste.

Target the Most Effective First

Not every sustainable option will be as effective as others, so by targeting the most impactful, some of the least challenging swaps have the biggest change.

For example, when it comes to food waste, the most minuscule efforts make the biggest difference. Loosely meal planning, strategizing storage options so food stays fresh longer and figuring out the best way to repurpose leftovers can limit household waste drastically. These aren’t magical zero waste ideas but practical suggestions that just so happen to be effective.

In similar veins, energy output doesn’t have to go extreme—no one needs to melt wax in their homes as a replacement light source or freeze out of their car to cut back on energy use. Instead, switching to LED lightbulbs as opposed to incandescent, unplugging things that aren’t being used and being conscious of heating/cooling the spaces in which people occupy cut back energy usage drastically without intervening in the daily habits that drive daily purpose.

As for transportation, this becomes an optional endeavor because not everyone can switch at once (i.e electric cars or biking versus public transportation). However, when possible, carpooling, combining errands and walking instead of unnecessary driving play a significant role without people needing to change their lives overnight.

Make Them Easy, Not Hard

To sustain such options long-term, they mustn’t complicate lives. If something’s too complicated or feels burdensome, people won’t stick with sustainable approaches.

Therefore, when it comes to sustainability, keeping them accessible is the key. Reusable items must be kept accessible. A reusable water bottle shouldn’t be shoved in the back of the cabinet. Shopping bags shouldn’t be kept in the closet; they should live in the car without it being too much effort to bring them in.

Also, systems cut down mental load—if there’s a designated spot for reusable containers, and one remembers to wash their reusable bottles immediately after using, and there are plenty of reusable shopping bags in various places, there’s less personal responsibility at play.

Focus on Progress Over Perfection

One of the biggest deterrents people face when it comes to sustainability is the idea that everyone needs to do everything perfectly from day one. This is unrealistic.

No one’s life is going to be 100% eco-friendly, so attempting to do so will only overwhelm people until they throw in the towel and give up entirely. Therefore, small substitutions that can be sustained over time are much better than trying for everything and falling short within a few short weeks. A person who continuously uses a reusable water bottle and reusable shopping bags makes a much larger impact than someone who attempts a zero waste initiative for two weeks and goes back to normal waste protocols.

Additionally, sustainable options exist on a spectrum—for example, buying secondhand is more sustainable than brand new—but at least if it’s new from a reputable source, it acknowledges some degree of worry. Even committing to no-meat days three days a week is more impactful than being solely vegetarian if that option is not realistic.

Creating a more sustainable lifestyle has far less to do with complete lifestyle overhaul and more to do with situational substitutions when good opportunities arise that can work within pre-existing habits, prioritize what’s most impactful and focus on sustainability over perfection instead. Substitutions with low-impact effort create long term, successful changes that don’t stress people out.