Tackling a problem as large as climate change is an exceptionally intimidating task but not an impossible feat to achieve. The journey to end climate change has been pushed more strongly these past few years than ever before due to Earth’s rising temperature, the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, deforestation, and a long list of other climate-related issues. However, the more people make an effort to stop climate change, the smaller the problem becomes. Below is a list of three methods to be more sustainable that will barely interrupt your daily routine.

Shopping sustainably is an easy, cheap way to help the environment because fast fashion brands such as Shein, Urban Outfitters, Forever 21, and Pacsun harm the environment through things like excessive packaging and unethical materials sourced through exploitative labor. By purchasing used clothing from websites such as Poshmark or ThreadUP you can find great clothes from brands such as Nike, UGG, Lululemon, etc. Buying thrifted or used clothes is not only a fun way to find unique pieces but also can save you money in the long run. Since mall shopping is a fun and popular way to socialize, switching to buying all used clothes is not an easy thing to do, but that doesn’t mean the idea is hopeless. If you start by making goals such as only buying two store-bought pieces a month you will make more of an impact on our environment than you realize.

Ecobricking is a method to reuse trash and recyclables to build houses and other structures. The first step in ecobricking is taking an old plastic bottle and then putting things like cut-up wrappers, straws, plastic toothbrushes, cellophane, or any other dry pieces of plastic into the bottle. Then, you use a stick to pack the contents of the bottle down until the bottle is entirely full and solid. You can then go to ecobricking.com and upload the weight and dimensions of your bottle to the GOBrik app. After that, you can either put your bottles up for sale or offer to donate them within the app. Finally, you can explore the drop-off options and mailing locations to send your bricks in. This is a great way to reuse your everyday trash and contribute to this new and exciting environmental effort.

Avoiding plastic use is one of the more popular ways to help the environment, but it doesn’t get enough attention. Plastic pollution is harming our oceans, our streets, and even the air we breathe. The production of plastic emits greenhouse gasses that pollute the air we breathe which is a global health concern. One way to reduce plastic use is to cut back on how much plastic you buy. If you’re buying a snack at a sports game with your friend, instead of buying two bags of chips, split a pretzel since it doesn’t come in packaging! Cutting plastic out of your life entirely is not something you can do overnight, but if you stay mindful of what you’re purchasing you can begin to make a difference in your habits.

Overall, the key to sustainability is to be conscious of your habits. If you experiment with various methods and promote the fact that climate change is real you will make a difference in your community. Shopping, ecobricking, and avoiding plastic are all great starting points to get to know yourself and explore what habits of yours are worth changing. In conclusion, don’t beat yourself up over not being sustainable enough, a small effort is always better than nothing.