Sustainable Living Tips That Won't Overwhelm You - practical tips for incremental improvement

You don't need to be zero waste on Day 1 of 2026.

I am currently traveling and staying at an airbnb…Am I weirdo who brought my own skillet, spatula, and sponge? Sure am. Am I bringing my compost home with me? Nope, it will go to the landfill and I will survive. In my defense the last airbnb we stayed at had some gnarly looking pans and half melted spatulas and I loathe stinky sponges, so me BYO is really just peace of mind and I fully recognize that it’s extra (had I forgotten it, I also would have been okay).


So here's what I recommend to newbies (or really anyone):

  1. Tackle one thing at a time. One swap. One room. Dish soap or hand soap. Pick one. Floss or toothbrush. Pick one.

  2. Think about what you want to swap BEFORE it runs out. Don’t throw out what you already have (well unless it’s your plastic cutting board…) and use it up before you make a change. Local to us? We have a handy print out of generally what we carry that is perfect to put on the fridge as a reminder.


  1. You don’t need to get rid of EVERYTHING or do everything perfectly…. I will never be zero waste and I’m okay with that. Give yourself the grace to do the best (or even a mediocre job) with what you have- we don’t all have access, finances, or bandwidth to do all the things all the time and THAT’S OKAY. 


  1. Trash audit. TBH, I’ve never actually done a trash audit like truly digging through my trash and laying it out on the floor…but I know what has (or still does) take up the majority of my garbage without laying it out. What is it for you? Individual snack bags? Paper towels? Take out containers? Think about what is taking up the most space…and think about how you could change that habit. Bonus: you’ll probably save money.

  • Individual snack bags? Grab a full bag. 

  • Paper towels? Grab some reusable cloths (we love paperless towels and durafresh cloths the most)

  • Take out: Aim for one less meal out per week or BYOC when you dine in for your leftovers. Make sure you ask for no extras (like utensils or individual packets of sauce) if you are headed to a place that has those things.


Pick the ONE  thing, and if you are in a household, teach everyone else the new expectation…..or perhaps you have a more democratic household, in which case, perhaps you decide your new thing together. Here at Four Corners, we have literally tried all the things, and we are always happy to help troubleshoot, provide advice, suggestions, commiseration, and more. We love helping you figure it out too. (and trust me, we get lots of questions, and they’ve never been that ‘weird’ despite what you think). And yes, we deliver locally once a month if time just isn’t on your side.

 

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