How to live more sustainably in 2025
Most of us believe climate change is a global emergency and agree we should adopt a more sustainable lifestyle to live well within the earth’s limits.
It can be hard to know where to start with make positive changes but there are manageable and affordable changes we can make that will make a difference.
If you are thinking about how you can live more sustainably in 2025, here are some positive and affordable lifestyle changes you can make.
Diet
Globally, we throw away a billion tonnes of food each year. Food waste, if thrown away and not composted, generates methane a potent greenhouse gas. Eating more sustainably and taking steps to reduce food waste is a simple change easily made.
We could also try to eat seasonally (for example, no strawberries in the winter) and eat less meat. Going meat free for one day a week would be a good start. If you are vegetarian, you can introduce more completely plant-based meals. Choose something that works for you.
Active Travel
We all need to travel. Choosing active travel, walking, wheeling or cycling, is the greenest option. Ithelps us, and our children, get fitter and healthier. Active travel can be often be faster and cheaper than car journeys for short distances. You could try to replace one or two car journeys each week with active travel.
For longer journeys, taking the bus or train is more environmentally friendly than travelling by car or plane. It does, however, require more planning.
Energy Advice
The energy we use in our homes is a significant contributor to greenhouse emissions. Small changes can make a difference to our bills as well as household emissions and most savings are easy.
Turn off the lights when leaving a room, cook food with the saucepan lid on, turn down the thermostat by 1° Celsius and, as spring approaches, turn the heating on and off earlier. Take shorter showers and think about how often you wash your clothes and wash at a lower temperature.
Clothing
We all enjoy buying new clothes, but ’fast fashion’ has a high environmental and social cost. Organise your wardrobe before you go shopping and only buy something that will ‘work’ with what you already have.
Even better, think about whether you actually need a new outfit or not. Can you buy second hand or buy less but higher quality? Buying less will also save you money.
Waste Management
Worldwide we generate more than 2.1 billion metric tons of solid waste each year and this figure is expected to increase to 3.8 billion by 2050. There are small changes we can make to reduce the amount we put in our landfill bin. Try to reduce impulse and overbuying. Use reusable bags. When you shop for food, try to go package free. Some supermarkets are helping by selling loose fruit and vegetables.
Make sure you know what can be recycled locally. You can check what can be recycled and your bin collection dates with on the Fife Council website.
By making small changes to our lifestyles and encouraging friends and family to do the same, we can collectively move towards a more sustainable future.
For more information and inspiration on ways to reduce your carbon footprint and get involved with local community action in Fife visit Climate Action Fife.
Pat Crosbie
Greener Kirkcaldy Chair
Resources
Why the global fight to tackle food waste has only just begun (unep.org)
Food waste makes up ‘half’ of global food system emissions – Carbon Brief
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