Become A Greener Expat: Living Sustainably While Living Abroad

There are many things to consider when you choose to move abroad, but if you’re keen to minimise your impact on the planet, where you choose to go and what you do once you get there makes a huge difference. Moving countries provides you with a chance to start again – to rethink your processes and routines to become more environmentally friendly. Whether you’re new to eco living or keen to level up, here’s how you can become a greener expat and bring a more sustainable way of living to your new life abroad.

Choose Your Location Wisely

Your chosen location might be dependent on factors out of your control, like your job, but if you have any say in where you wind up, there are several destinations that are particularly well-suited to greener living. Copenhagen and Amsterdam, for example, are fantastic for reducing your reliance on transportation as they’re designed to be bike-friendly and walkable. Similarly, Spain is a leader in renewable energy use and there’s been a rise in sustainable accommodations in areas like Marbella and La Cala de Mijas which help you to minimise your carbon footprint.

Lean Into Buying Used

Whether it’s decluttering before the move or furnishing your new space once you’ve settled in, opt out of buying new where you can. There are many reliable platforms for buying and selling used items that mean you can not only save some money but also prevent waste. Use your move as an opportunity to get to know your local community too, to trade or borrow items rather than instinctively buying new every time. The same can be said of items you own that you no longer need—see if there’s someone else who could benefit, or sell it on so it doesn’t go to waste.

Be Mindful of the Commute

Once you land in your new hometown, think about how you’ll get around. Expat life often involves a lot of travel, whether it’s because you’re a digital nomad and want to explore the world or because you’ve settled somewhere new and need to fly back and forth to visit family and friends.

While you might not be able to avoid the flights, in between those trips, you can make an effort to travel as sustainably as possible. Perhaps you can use public transport instead of using a car to get to and from work each day, or you might be lucky and able to find accommodation that enables you to walk or cycle.

Get to Know the Local Waste Systems

Waste removal and recycling might not be something you give a lot of thought to, but it’s a significant part of living a greener life and it’s also something that changes from country to country. What’s common practice in Germany may not be the same in Italy or Sweden. Depending on how eco-minded your chosen destination is, there may be more in-depth processes in place for separating waste and recycling to minimise waste from going to landfill unnecessarily.

Don’t rely on what you’re used to—make sure that you get to know what’s required, including what can and can’t be recycled, how regularly waste is collected, and whether certain materials need to be dropped off at recycling centres or will be collected road-side.

Learn the Language

You might not think of language as a prominent tool for positive change, but learning the local language can help you build rapport with your neighbours and help you make greener choices, by knowing the correct phrases to ask for alternatives rather than sticking to mainstream products. It can also help you explore local businesses more successfully, enabling you to interact with staff and find companies that align with your values. Shopping local can help to cut down the environmental costs of transportation and encourages local development which is a win-win.

Do Your Part to Push for Change

Making changes in your personal life is a great first step to preventing climate change, but it’s not enough on its own. Larger policy changes are essential to have a real effect, and it’s something we can all have a part in—expats included. The only way these changes will take place is if we continually push for them and hold governments and businesses accountable.

As an expat, you may not have as many rights as residents, such as voting for candidates who support climate-friendly changes, but you can still support local groups with lobby work and attend protests in your new hometown to show your support and add another voice to the crowd.

There’s a lot of advice online about living a greener life, but it’s not always possible to adopt every practice into your expat life. That said, even small changes can have a positive impact and whether it’s choosing sustainable accommodation, rethinking how you travel or even integrating yourself in the local community by supporting small businesses, every step can help you to lead an eco-friendlier lifestyle and do your part to protect the planet.