Now more than ever we’re seeing sustainable living become not just a concept, but a lifestyle. More and more people are making environmentally-conscious decisions to make the world a better place, but have you found yourself wondering, “why is sustainable living important?”

Does sustainability actually matter? Yes, it does! In fact, there are several benefits of living sustainably that we’ll touch on in this guide. But first, let’s dive into why sustainability matters and how it helps shape a planet we all can thrive on.  

Why Sustainability Matters

So, why is sustainable living important? For starters, it aims to produce a positive impact on everyone around us, including wildlife. Sustainable living helps to preserve our ecosystems and make the planet a better place for all of us to live by making the air and water clean. It also helps to reduce pollution and conserve natural resources we and future generations need. 

7 Benefits of Living Sustainably

There are several benefits of living sustainably that have a personal impact and broader impact for the world and others. Here are 7 main benefits of sustainable living you can expect to see when you implement key sustainable living ideas. 

1. Overall improved health

One of the best benefits of living sustainably? Your overall quality of life improves drastically! When you reduce your carbon footprint by walking over driving and switching to a vegetarian diet with homegrown vegetables or food sourced from the local farmers market, you implement healthy habits that improve physical wellbeing. 

2. Cost savings

Believe it or not, living sustainably can also reduce your monthly expenses. That’s because you’re likely wasting things like water and energy without realizing it. Being more water and energy efficient by reducing how much you use and switching to eco-friendly fixtures can significantly reduce your carbon footprint and monthly expenditures. 

3. Better air quality

Another benefit to sustainable living that goes hand in hand with cost savings is that it improves the air quality. When you save on energy (by switching to solar panels instead of nuclear and fossil energy), walk instead of drive, reduce waste, and switch to eco-friendly products, you cut down on carbon emissions that are released into the air. 

4. Wildlife protection

Us humans aren’t the only ones enjoying the beautiful plant we’re living on; we share these spaces with land and aquatic creatures that sadly feel the repercussions of waste and pollution. Our oceans are hit terribly each year with plastic pollution that threatens aquatic life and pollutes the water. But with a change in your lifestyle, like living sustainably, you preserve our wildlife in the following ways:

• Plastic pollution is managed and decreased
• Our ecosystems become cleaner and healthier
• Waterways stay fresh and pure
• Species are protected

5. Reduced environmental footprint

When you make the choice to be more environmentally conscious, you reduce your environmental footprint. What does “environmental footprint” mean? It’s the impact us humans create on the environment through our choices and actions. Meaning, when we decide to drive, we’re choosing to release harmful pollutants into the air. When we decide to use plastic water bottles, we’re contributing to waste that’s building every year in our oceans and landfills. 

6. Preserves natural ecosystems

When you choose to live sustainably, you help to keep the environment clean and natural resources pure. In turn, this helps preserve our natural ecosystems by keeping waste out of our waterways and forests that are causing concerning levels of pollution.

7. Cleaner world for future generations

Undoubtedly one of the main benefits of living sustainably is that you’re setting future generations up to enjoy a healthy and thriving world. Sustainability is an ongoing process that takes all of us making environmentally-conscious decisions to see the positive impact. It’s never too early to get your children interested in sustainable living with fun activities that spark curiosity and a love for our planet. 

Start Practicing Sustainability Today

There are things you can do to start living sustainably and reduce your carbon footprint. Choosing eco-friendly products made from plant-plastics, walking instead of driving, and conserving more resources are all easy sustainable living ideas you can implement in your daily routine today!