In a world full of emissions and microplastics, it's nice to do what you can to reduce and make the world a better place. However, with a hectic family life, it's hard to squeeze in convenient sustainable swaps that benefit all of the family without breaking the bank. But to achieve, you don't need to make huge lifestyle changes and overhaul your whole daily routine; you can just make a few adjustments that can make a big environmental impact.

So, if you're looking to make a simple and green change to your life, here are a few practical, affordable and easy tips to make your life greener. 

Eco-friendly food and drink swaps

• Reduced single-use packaging- Families tend to go through a lot of milk each week, whether that's for cereal, tea or food recipes, but this leads to a lot of plastic waste from  plastic bottles. This is why swapping to glass bottles is a great sustainable choice. For families, milk deliveries from companies such as McQueens Dairies are extremely convenient, whilst being cheap and sustainable.
• Simple meal prep tweaks- Preparing larger batches for you and your family helps to reduce food waste throughout the week, as you can portion the correct amount for every night. Also, an extra sustainable element that you can add to your food storage and preparation is to utilise glass containers instead of disposable plastic containers that don't last long, and can reduce your exposure to microplastics.

Sustainable home and cleaning swaps

• Replace disposable household items- Small cleaning and home swaps, such as swapping paper towels for washable microfibre cloths, replacing plastic sponges with biodegradable or compostable scrubbers or using beeswax wraps instead of cling film, can help you save money whilst reducing the amount of plastic waste.
• Lower energy use- lowering energy use is one way to make a good impact on the environment. This is because the creation of energy produces a large amount of Carbon dioxide, which harms the environment. Actions such as washing clothing on a cold water setting, air-drying laundry instead of using the dryer and making sure to turn off lights and use LEDs, all contribute to keeping energy usage down. A bonus to this is that your energy bills will also decrease, saving costs overall.

Sustainable family lifestyle swaps

• Greener transportation- Walking and cycling for short trips helps to reduce emissions whilst also boosting family fitness and getting the little one out of the house. For longer distances, public transport or carpooling is a great and affordable option, especially for families. 
• Conscious shopping habits- Investing in long-lasting products instead of fast and disposable ones means that you can keep things such as shoes for longer. Also, buying second-hand kids' clothes, toys and books is sustainable and affordable, as kids grow out of clothing very quickly, and it's not beneficial to spend money on new items that will only last a few weeks.

Final thoughts

Sustainability starts with small but purposeful changes that are achievable in your lifestyle. Just start with one or two changes at first, and then over time you can build up to three or more changes at your own pace. But don't worry if some changes come slower than others; living greener is not about perfection, it's about progress.