Life is a grind. You work for 8 hours, sleep for 8, and somehow have to squeeze everything else into the final 8. No wonder you’re tired, stressed, and running on empty. Whether it’s a tantrum-throwing toddler, a bean-counting boss, or another brutal commute, you’re exhausted.
Still, you care. You want to do your bit for the planet because sustainable living for millennials and Gen Z is second nature. We inherited a beautiful world — it’s only right we look after it.
But honestly? It shouldn’t feel this hard. You glance at your shopping list and realise almost everything has a hidden environmental cost. You try cycling, public transport, and sustainable swaps, but it never feels like enough.
Good news: it doesn’t have to be perfect. Small eco-conscious choices make a real impact. With a few easy sustainable living tips — like building a green beauty routine, trying the slow fashion movement, or embracing minimalist eco living — you can practice low-effort sustainability without burning out.
Here’s how to be eco-friendly when you’re just trying to survive 9-to-5.
Cut down meat consumption
Look, I get it – meat is delicious. Too many people hear about the environmental cost of meat and dismiss it. “I’m not going vegan.” The truth is, you don’t have to. Low-effort sustainability could be as simple as reducing your meat consumption. If you’re eating it every day, cut one day out. Any reduction in meat consumption – replacing it with healthy, nutritious alternatives – will reduce your carbon footprint.
That’s just basic science. It takes far more energy and resources to raise cattle or chickens than it does to grow crops. After all, we feed those crops to those animals. Maybe one day you take a salad for lunch instead of a ham sandwich, or you opt for a veggie curry instead of sticking with chicken. Half the time, you won’t even notice the difference.
Try these ideas:
- Swap beef with lentils or mushrooms in dishes like chilli, tacos, or pasta.
- Use chickpeas, tofu, or tempeh for hearty curries, stir-fries, or salads.
- Try plant-based sausages or burgers for easy swaps in familiar meals.
Embrace slowww fashion
Heard of the slow fashion movement? It’s the countercultural movement fighting back against the cheap, trendy clothing we’ve all been wearing for the past half century or more. In some ways, it’s nothing new – it’s a return to the old-fashioned way of doing things. It could be as simple as darning or repairing your jeans, or buying vintage clothes.
Let’s be honest: half the time we buy a new piece of clothing, it’s out of want, not need. We consume to perk ourselves up. Like for meat, just reducing a bad habit is a step in the right direction. You don’t need to achieve perfection to have an impact – just take tiny steps (they soon add up).
Because honestly? Fast fashion isn’t just bad for the planet — it’s exhausting for your wallet and wardrobe too.
Stop using disposable makeup wipes
The sensitive among you will notice a theme—things aren’t built to last. We’ve created a disposable culture, a throwaway culture. That might seem egregious when it’s something like clothing, but it’s the little things we throw away on an everyday basis that are often ignored.
Take disposable makeup wipes.
If you’re creating a green beauty routine, you’ll want to rethink these single-use products. Once you throw it away, it’s not out of sight, out of mind. They still exist. All this waste ends up in some disgusting landfill or worse, in the ocean or part of a fatberg (look it up – just not while you’re eating!).
Worse, they’re often a toxic mix of cotton, polyester, and polypropylene. That plastic content means they don’t fully biodegrade – even “biodegradable” ones can take years, depending on conditions.
The alternative? Switch to reusable cotton pads, cloths, or compostable wipes. It’s a small yet mighty sustainable swap that might just save the life of some poor marine creature.
Craft a capsule wardrobe
Perhaps the saddest part of fast fashion is that it doesn’t even look good. We find ourselves swept up in absurd trends, wearing clothes we’ll look back on in utter embarrassment. “What the hell was I thinking!?”
A capsule wardrobe is perfect for those seeking minimalist, eco-living. It’s a small, carefully curated collection of clothes – usually around 25-50 pieces – that mix and match easily. Focus on classic, versatile pieces like neutral tops, good-quality jeans, sundresses, and jackets. You’ll look good not just today but also tomorrow.
There’s a reason the classic black Coco Chanel dress is still popular today—some clothes are timeless. As the lady herself put it, “I don’t do fashion; I am fashion.”
Download the Good On You app
The modern world might seem like the cause of all this destruction. It’s the antithesis of low-effort sustainability, green beauty routines, and the slow fashion movement. But it doesn’t have to be.
In fact, some incredible tools can make eco-conscious choices easy.
Good On You is an app that lets you examine the ethics and sustainability behind the biggest brands. Search by brand or clothing type to find companies that take their responsibilities seriously. That means making sustainable swaps like Puma instead of Nike.
No more scouring the internet for hours only to discover your favourite brand relies on sweatshop labour. This handy platform contains all the relevant information at your fingertips. It rates brands out of 5 for planet, people, and animals, then averages the score.
Other eco-friendly fashion and beauty apps include:
- Renoon – Find clothes made with recycled materials, vegan fabrics, and low-impact production methods.
- Depop – Buy and sell second-hand clothes directly from other users.
- ThredUP – Shop second-hand clothes online easily, just like a regular store.
- Think Dirty – Scan beauty products to check for safe, eco-friendly ingredients.
- Vinted – Swap, sell, or buy second-hand clothes locally with zero hassle.
Look: you don’t have to try to save the world single-handedly, nor should you feel endlessly guilty for every bad decision. Tiny steps still move us forward. Pick one thing, try it out, and trust that even the smallest change matters. You matter. Be the change you want to see.