1. Buy Less New. Choose Pieces With a Past
One of the simplest ways to live more sustainably is to rethink how you buy. Instead of always choosing something new, look for pieces that already exist.
Vintage, secondhand, and upcycled items have already proven their durability, are often made from better materials, keep usable goods out of landfills, and also add character you just can’t replicate. Whether it’s a jacket, a table, or a ceramic vase, older pieces tend to have a presence that mass-produced items lack.
They were made to last and if they’ve made it this far, they likely will endure.
There’s also something deeper here. A shift in mindset. We don’t always need more. We need better.
A perfect example of this is Fernwood Vintage in Topanga, founded by Emily Welsch. She curates beautiful, wearable true vintage pieces that feel current but carry history.
You can find her monthly at the Topanga Farmers Market. Her collection is thoughtful and personal, built around the idea that everything we need already exists, it’s just about finding the right pieces that tell your story.
Buying this way doesn’t just reduce waste. It shifts how you see things. It elevates your personal style. You start to value materials, craftsmanship, and longevity over convenience. And when you embrace that mindset and it translates to personal style, you make an impact.
2. Design With Shade. Don’t Fight Nature, Work With It
One of the most effective ways to live more sustainably is to reduce how much energy you need in the first place. That starts with working with your environment instead of against it. If a space gets blasted by the sun, don’t fight it with more AC. Block the heat before it enters. Plant trees or layer in shrubs to naturally create shade. Use exterior shade to stop heat before it hits your windows.
This is where material choices matter.
Artificial grass, for example, can reach 140 to 180 degrees in direct sun, radiating heat back into your space and actually making your home hotter.
Instead, work with materials that help cool like natural ground cover, gravel or decomposed granite, and living plants that cool the air.
The same thinking applies to overhead shade.
Plastic shade sails may block the sun, but they often trap heat underneath, creating a greenhouse effect that can make the space feel even hotter than it would under a natural material.
Instead, choose breathable shade materials that not only look better, they’re better for the earth and actually keep your space cooler.
Coco Du Sol is a Topanga-based brand creating natural shade sails made from coconut fiber. The material comes from coconut husks, a byproduct that would otherwise go to waste, and is woven into a durable and breathable shade that filters light instead of trapping heat, creating off gasses and microplastics that will eventually end up in a landfill.
Better materials. Less heat. And a more natural way to live with your environment. You can check them out at cocodusol.com
3. Borrow Instead of Buy
Not everything needs to be owned.
This is especially true in a place like Topanga, where there’s such a strong sense of community. Between local Facebook groups and WhatsApp threads, it’s exciting to see how often people post ISO requests to borrow instead of buy.
And it works.
Snow trips are a perfect example. Kids outgrow gear almost as quickly as you buy it, making winter clothing one of the most wasteful purchases if you’re buying new every season.
The same goes for birthday decor, sports equipment that gets used once and then sits in the garage, camping gear you only use a few times a year, baby gear that’s needed for such a short window, and even books that get read once and then live on a shelf.
A lot of what we buy is only meant for a moment.
Passing things along or borrowing from someone nearby keeps perfectly good items in circulation and out of landfills. It also brings back a sense of sharing that feels really good.
4. Make Entertaining Less Disposable
Single-use plastics are one of the biggest contributors to ocean pollution, but shifting away from them can be simple.
Some of the easiest changes happen right at home, especially when you’re summer hosting.
Instead of defaulting to disposable setups, create a simple system you can reuse again and again: stackable stainless steel cups, lightweight and stackable enamel plates, water stations with cups instead of bottled drinks. And for decor instead of balloons, use paper lanterns, instead of streamers, use fabric ribbons or greenery like olive or eucalyptus, swap plastic tablecloths for cotton drop cloths that are washable, reusable, and super inexpensive.
Small shifts. More intentional, less disposable, and more aligned with the kind of spaces we actually want to create.
5. Cut Single-Use Plastics Where You Can
One of the biggest contributors to pollution today is single-use plastic.
The good news is, this is also one of the easiest places to make a change. It doesn’t have to be all or nothing. Start small. Shift how you buy.
Choose loose produce instead of pre-packaged
Refill soap bottles or choose concentrated products instead of oversized plastic containers
Use refill stations when possible and keep the bottles you already have
Skip individually wrapped versions of the same item
And when you can, go to the farmers market.
We have some of the best locally grown produce in the country, and some of the most beautiful little markets. It’s not just about reducing packaging, it’s actually enjoyable and a great way to support local growers. Same products. Less waste.
Living more sustainably doesn’t have to be complicated. It’s not about perfection. It’s about awareness.
CONTACT INFO:
Coco Du Sol:
shade yourself in nature
Jennifer Atkins
p: 424- 522 – 2516
