This page contains a list of recommendations for individuals. I either already follow these recommendations in my personal life or I would probably do that if I had the opportunity.
Everyone is different, so some of the following recommendations may seem useless or even downright stupid to you. That's perfectly normal. Feel free to follow only the recommendations you find useful and ignore the rest.
Please send me an e-mail if you want to share some recommendations I haven't already included in the list. I'm always looking for new interesting ideas.
Avoid advertisements. Don't watch television channels or listen to radio stations that broadcast advertisements. Install ad blockers on all your digital devices, and don't feel guilty about that.
Don't watch TV. Sell or donate all your TV sets.
Dispose of broken air conditioning units and refrigerators in a proper way, since they contain very powerful greenhouse gases that could escape in the atmosphere and make climate change worse.
Don't have kids. If you really want to expand your family, consider adopting children instead of having your own biological ones.
Make your own all-purpose cleaning solution by mixing equal parts of vinegar and water.
Use microfiber cloths instead of paper towels.
Reuse worn-out clothes as rags before trashing them.
Reuse old toothbrushes for cleaning purposes.
Compost the following items:
Don't paint your nails or you won't be able to compost your nail clippings.
Don't dye your hair or you won't be able to compost your hair clippings.
Don't throw away computers in working conditions just because they are old and they seem to become slower over time. That's almost always due to bloated proprietary software, not due to issues with the hardware itself. Replace all bloated proprietary software (e.g. Microsoft Windows) with lightweight free software substitutes (e.g. Linux). If that's not enough, you may also try to upgrade some specific hardware components instead of replacing the entire computer. For example, you can replace a slow hard disk drive (HDD) with a fast solid state drive (SSD), or you can expand the amount of RAM by either installing additional modules or replacing existing modules with larger ones.
Suspend your computer when not using it for short amounts of time. Hibernate it instead for longer amounts of time.
Reduce the brightness of your computer display to an acceptable level.
When appropriate, consider replacing HDDs (hard disk drives) with SSDs (solid state drives) since the latter one use less energy than the former ones. On the other hand, please don't forget about the considerable energy needed to manufacture new electronic devices. If you don't need a performance boost or a longer-lasting battery and you already have HDDs that work perfectly well, consider using them as long as possible before switching to SSDs.
Don't buy proprietary software (e.g. Microsoft Windows). Use free software only (e.g. Linux).
Refill your empty ink cartridges instead of buying new cartridges.
Avoid DRM (Digital Restrictions Management), or learn how to remove it. When companies selling DRM-laden media go out of business, they will inevitably stop supporting their own DRM scheme, so you could end up being unable to access the media files you paid for and be forced to buy them again from other companies. Instead, you should either avoid buying DRM-laden media, or at least find the right software tools you can use to remove DRM from the media files you legitimately purchased, so you can keep them no matter what happens to the companies that sold them to you. In the latter case, make sure to avoid proprietary tools; only use tools released under a free software license.
On Linux systems, you can save energy and increase the lifespan of your hardware by downclocking your CPU with cpupower. On my personal desktop computer, for example, I downclocked my 3.0 GHz CPU to 2.0 GHz (the lowest supported frequency).
Turn off your router during the night.
Don't host your git repositories on GitHub, GitLab or other websites that require running client-side JavaScript code (especially if proprietary). As far as I know, SourceHut is currently one of the few acceptable websites for hosting git repositories because it doesn't require JavaScript at all. The only page on SourceHut that requires running (proprietary) JavaScript code is used for sending money to start or renew a paid subscription. Fortunately that doesn't negatively affects third-party individuals, such as people reporting bugs or sending patches.
Don't buy or use Intel CPUs or motherboards that have a feature known as Intel Management Engine (Intel ME) because it's almost certainly a hardware backdoor. Intel ME could totally compromise your computer even if you run a secure operating system such as OpenBSD because Intel ME works at a lower, more fundamental level, and therefore has higher privileges. Recent AMD systems are not any better because they have a similar feature officially known as AMD Secure Technology. Avoid them, too.
Don't use or invest in cryptocurrencies if you don't have sufficient technical computer skills and you're not willing to learn them: you could easily make some serious mistake and lose all your coins, or unintentionally make it easy for someone else to steal them.
Don't participate to the Google Summer of Code or other initiatives sponsored by evil corporations such as Google. They look for new talented programmers to exploit for the sole purpose of developing very profitable proprietary, addictive spyware, to the detriment of billions of people all over the world.
Always cover pots and pans with a lid to keep heat inside and reduce cooking time.
Always match pots and pans to the burner with the right size.
Sell or donate all items that you no longer find useful but that could still be valuable to somebody else. By increasing the lifespan of such items, you will prevent the environmental costs of disposing them in a landfill. By reducing the demand for new items, you will also prevent the environmental costs of manufacturing them.
If you can't sell an unwanted item or you don't want to, donate it instead of trashing it.
Consider donating money to charities working to solve the most pressing environmental issues (e.g. climate change). Alternatively, donate money to charities promoting veganism (vegan diets are much more sustainable on average than diets that include animal products).
Drink tap water instead of bottled water (only if tap water is drinkable in the place you live in).
Use a reusable steel water bottle.
Don't buy kits to produce your own carbonated water at home. Drink plain tap water instead.
Don't buy electronic devices with non-replaceable batteries.
Use your electronic devices as long as possible. Don't replace them just because a new model is out.
Use rechargeable batteries instead of disposable ones.
Test batteries you suspect are bad with a multimeter before discarding them. You shouldn't throw away batteries which are good enough for other, less demanding devices.
Before discarding batteries with dirty electrodes, clean them with alcohol and test them again with a multimeter.
Use surge protectors to protect valuable electronic devices from voltage spikes.
Don't use air conditioning in summer when relying on a fan provides enough of a relief.
Install solar panels on your house.
Switch to a 100% renewable energy provider.
Dry your wet clothes on a clothes line or drying rack. Don't use a clothes dryer.
Don't iron your clothes. Don't buy clothes that require ironing.
Don't pour more water into a kettle than you actually need.
Turn off lights when you don't need them.
Unplug appliances and devices when not in use.
Wash clothes less often. There's no need to wash clothes after every use (unless they are dirty or smelly).
Only buy efficient appliances.
Turn the heat off in the rooms of your house you're not using, and close them off.
Use LED light bulbs only. Don't use incandescent or fluorescent light bulbs.
Don't put warm food in a refrigerator. Let it cool down outside first.
Dry your hair with a towel instead of using a hair dryer, especially in summer or if you have short hair.
Wash dishes by hand with cold water (at least in summer).
At night, turn off lights and save some electricity if darkness does not interfere with what to have to do (e.g. listening to music, talking on the phone).
Turn off the engine of your car when idling.
Don't use thick towels in winter: they can take a long time to dry. Use thin towels, instead.
Ignore fashion. In particular, avoid fast fashion.
Avoid food waste.
Buy "ugly" fruits and vegetables, as long as they are good to eat. The cosmetic standards many supermarkets and customers have come to expect are harmful because they cause a lot of perfectly edible food to be wasted.
Don't buy more food than your family can eat.
Buy bulk, raw ingredients and cook from scratch.
Buy dried legumes instead of canned ones.
Grow your own food (e.g. fruits, vegetables).
Replace your lawn with an edible garden.
Don't use gas-powered leafblowers or lawnmowers: they are very noisy and polluting.
Don't smoke.
Medical bills can be very expensive, so take care of your health and prevent problems from developing in the first place.
Buy generic drugs instead of branded ones.
Don't consume alcoholic drinks (e.g. wine, beer) because they contain ethanol, a substance which is known to cause cancer.
Don't buy non-stick cookware.
Don't buy or use cutting boards made of plastic. Instead, use cutting boards made of wood.
Don't buy homeopathic products.
Don't waste time and money watching spectator sports: your health won't improve by sitting in front of a TV screen eating junk food. A much better idea is to practice some sport yourself (as long as you don't have health conditions that prevent you from doing physical activity).
Always read package inserts before taking new prescription drugs.
Don't follow a fruitarian diet. Fruits alone don't have all the nutrients needed by the human body. Instead, follow a well-balanced vegan diet that includes fruits, vegetables, legumes, cereals, mushrooms, nuts and seeds.
Don't use a microwave oven to heat any food or drink in a plastic container. Use a glass or ceramic container instead.
Don't go on cruise holidays.
Choose the smallest house your family can comfortably live in. Don't buy or rent bigger, more expensive houses.
Insulate your house.
Be deliberate and selective when downloading or streaming online videos and other high-bandwidth media.
Never write e-mail messages in HTML format. Always write them in plain text format, instead.
Don't use social media (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, Reddit). This also includes the Fediverse (e.g. Mastodon, Lemmy).
Don't litter. Pick up litter instead.
Don't save credit card details on online store websites. Manually type credit card details every time you need to make a purchase. This strategy can be useful to avoid impulse purchases.
Don't use credit cards. Use debit cards instead.
Leave your cash and credit cards at home when you don't really need them. You can't buy anything on impulse if you don't have money on you.
Avoid debt.
Get out of debt as soon as you can. Pay highest interest debts first.
Don't buy lottery tickets.
If you have a good relationship with your parents, consider living with them instead of living on your own.
Avoid eating out (e.g. restaurants, coffee shops, pubs). Eat at home and prepare food yourself.
Don't buy coffee from the coffee shop. Make your own coffee, instead.
Cut your own hair. Alternatively, have a friend, a relative or your partner do it.
Exercise at home instead of paying for a gym membership.
Pay your bills on time. Avoid late fees.
Instead of buying books, check them out from a library.
Don't buy souvenirs.
Don't buy items just because they are cheap. Only buy items that you really need.
Find frugal ways to entertain yourself. Don't think of shopping as a way to cope with boredom. Avoid spending money on things such as museums, concerts, movies, theaters, etc.
Bring your lunch at work.
Don't buy luxury items (e.g cars, watches, houses, yachts, clothes, paintings, jewelry). If you already have some luxury items, sell them.
Don't buy makeup products.
Avoid buying foods or drinks from vending machines.
Don't fall victim to lifestyle inflation.
Don't shop unless you need something specific.
Cancel unused subscriptions.
If you don't need an item urgently, write it down on a list and wait a few days or weeks before buying it.
Before buying something, use what you already have in your house.
Don't go to the grocery store when you're hungry.
Don't pay the television license (only if doing that is legal in your country).
Minimize spending money on ceremonies (e.g. weddings, funerals, graduations, awards). It doesn't make any sense to consume large amounts of financial or other kinds of resources for the sake of non-essential things.
Don't buy gifts for other people, especially if you're not sure the recipients will like those gifts. Of course, you should tell people that they don't have to buy gifts for you, as well.
Don't feel envious towards very wealthy people (e.g. millionaires, billionaires) that hoard more money for themselves than is needed for living a good and satisfactory life while at the same time actively preventing lots of other people to get desperately needed money. Therefore, if you have a lot of surplus money, it is your duty to carefully research which organizations to donate it to. You should aim to maximize your positive contribution to solving the most important issues (e.g. poverty, carnism, climate change).
Don't use helium for recreational purposes (e.g. balloons). Helium is the second most abundant element in the universe, but here on Earth it is a scarce non-renewable resource that should be used sparingly.
Don't live in a place with a climate you hate. Living in a place with a climate you can't stand can have a high environmental footprint and can cost you a lot of money.
Don't buy or use firecrackers: they are dangerous, wasteful and polluting. When lots of people use firecrackers at the same time (for example during New Year's Eve celebrations) the sudden, very loud sounds they make also cause significant distress to both pets and wild animals.
Avoid plastic packaging.
Don't use disposable plastic items such as:
Use glass jars instead of plastic containers.
Only buy fruits and vegetables without plastic packaging. Put them in compostable or reusable bags instead.
Don't line your waste container with a plastic bag.
Always carry reusable shopping bags. Don't use disposable shopping bags.
Don't participate to political elections, neither as an elector nor as a candidate. Don't trust any politician or political party: the only thing they really want is to seize power and use it for their own self-interest, to the detriment of people, animals and the environment.
Avoid buying gold (e.g. jewels, coins, ingots). Sell any gold you already have. By increasing supply and reducing demand, the price of gold will decrease, and mining will become less profitable.
Don't buy jewelry containing precious metals (e.g. gold) or precious stones (e.g. diamonds).
Buy used items instead of new ones.
Don't use one-day shipping.
Don't use disposable razors. Use safety razors instead.
Always dry the blade of your safety razor with a towel after every use. This will significantly increase its lifespan.
Don't distract yourself or other persons when driving. Road accidents can be harmful to both people and property. Things such as surgery, funerals and vehicle repairs can be very expensive or have a high environmental impact, either directly or indirectly.
Always use a condom when having sex because it offers a good protection against undesired pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections. Don't listen to religious propaganda attempting to manipulate you into not using condoms or other contraceptives for the sake of imaginary deities.
Buy bar soap instead of liquid soap. The first reason is that disposable plastic is nasty, and while bar soap usually comes in a cardboard box, liquid soap always comes in a plastic bottle. The second reason is that liquid soap contains large amounts of water, while bar soap doesn't. Water is heavy, and transporting it with trucks over long distances is a source of pollution that can be entirely avoided in this case.
Buy toilet paper made with recycled paper or bamboo instead of virgin paper.
Use a bidet in order to minimize your consumption of toilet paper.
Go car-free. Walk or ride a bicycle (unless it's dangerous). You can also take public transportation (if available).
Avoid air travel. In particular, avoid short-haul flights and take the train instead. If you absolutely need to take a plane, fly in economy class only. Don't even think about first class or business class.
Go to the local grocery store by foot and put the items you purchase in your own shopping cart.
Consider video conferencing instead of travel.
Adopt a vegan diet. Stop eating animal products (e.g. meat, dairy, eggs, fish, shellfish, honey).
Don't hunt or fish.
Don't buy products made of animal products (e.g. leather, wool, silk, feathers, fur, ivory, pearls).
Don't buy pets or any kind of animals.
Don't abandon pets.
If you are already vegan, try to find some time for persuading as many people as possible to become vegan, too. As an introvert, I don't feel comfortable talking to strangers directly, but I try doing my part by walking in my neighborhood and leaving leaflets into mailboxes with basic facts on veganism.
Don't buy products that contain real fur (for obvious reasons) or anything else that resembles it (i.e. fake fur) because it's hard to distinguish the latter from the former without analyzing samples in a laboratory. It's very important to avoid any risk, no matter how low, of financing fur farms.
Don't buy products containing carmine, a bright-red pigment obtained from carminic acid, which is extracted from cochineal insects. It takes about 155,000 cochineal insects to make one kilogram of carmine. Natural carmine is predominant on the market because synthetic carmine is complex and expensive to produce. Carmine is used as colorant in food, cosmetics, drugs and textiles.
Don't put oily food inside plastic containers. If you do that, you will need a lot of hot water and soap to clean them properly. Use glass or stainless steel containers instead.
Scrape food residues off dishes before washing them. You will save a lot of hot water and soap.
Don't throw organic material in the trash because, once in a landfill, it decomposes anaerobically producing methane, a potent greenhouse gas.
Compost dirty pizza boxes. Recycle clean pizza boxes.
Buy compostable cotton buds only. Don't buy cotton buds with a plastic handle.
Don't buy single-use coffee pods. They are difficult to recycle because they are made of a mix of plastic, aluminum and organic material.
Save water and energy by taking military showers. Basically, turn off the water while lathering.
Save water and energy by installing faucet aerators.
Turn off the tap while brushing your teeth.
Don't wash your car.