Do you have the personality to be sustainable? Yes!

When Kate Marnach decided to go zero-waste in 2017, she went all in — stopped using paper towels, single-use plastic or ordering takeout food — without batting an eye. But the Minneapolis mother of three young children burned out in five months.

That's what can happen, Marnach discovered, if you go too green too quickly.

She gave up trying to live waste-free, but noticed that some of the practices she'd adopted, like buying in bulk, had become habit. It wasn't long before she decided to try going sustainable again — this time gradually.

"I looked at things that I was being overwhelmed by, and I dropped a few of them that I determined at the time were too hard for me to tackle," Marnach said. "I worked on adding back in the stuff that was doable for me."

She also posted to the Zeroish blog, a site that she and a few friends used to educate themselves and other families. And in 2020, Marnach opened the Zeroish Co., a Minneapolis retail storefront that provides sustainable and zero-waste products, including bulk buying.

Living totally plastic- or waste-free is daunting, and for many, unrealistic. While zero waste is her goal, "you just have to tackle the areas in your life that are realistic for you to tackle."

Marnach now thinks that sustainability has a different definition for everyone. That's why we came up with a way to be greener by personality type.

FOR AN OVERACHIEVER
If zero waste is your goal, Amber Haukedahl, CEO and founder of the Tare Market, advises you to go slow. Instead of tossing not-so-green products, use up what you have. When you run low on toothpaste, soap or shampoo, try to find a more sustainable alternative. While it might be costlier upfront, Earth-friendly products can save money in the long term.

Give upcycling a try. Use an old pasta sauce jar for a flower vase. Or collect several jars and use them as containers in your pantry. "It's maybe not as beautiful as a curated Instagram photo," Haukedahl said, "but it will still be very functional and will work really well."

FOR A FAMILY
If you try to make too many changes at once, your family could get overwhelmed. Instead, make a single sustainable change and work it into your routine.

"You could change from disposable diapers to cloth diapers. If you can do it for a month, you're set. You're going to be able to continue doing it," said Haukedahl.

Being sustainable doesn't have to be costly, said Carley Rice, sustainability coordinator for the University of Minnesota. Although you may not be able to afford organic produce, brand-named sustainable clothing or an electric car, there are many free and low-cost ways to go green.

"Switch from packaged snacks to homemade snacks, and you can make a bunch all at once and freeze them," she suggested.

FOR A YOUNG PROFESSIONAL
Working a lot? Busy? Don't enjoy cooking for one? Takeout meals are an option, but one that creates lots of waste. Haukedahl suggests preparing easy at-home meals and making enough to have leftovers.

"Our diet is one of the things that we can control at an individual level, and that's what makes it such a nice area for us to think about sustainability," said Rice.

When you do buy prepared food or takeout, bring your own containers (if possible) as well as cups, forks and knives and reusable straws.

FOR A SHOPAHOLIC
Try thrifting. The Twin Cities is home to a vibrant thrift shop community with lots of options for clothes, furnishings, books and more.

"Not only does this keep items out of the landfill, but it also saves you so much money by buying things secondhand," Rice said.

FOR A POSH PERSON
As glamorous as salon soaps are, hygiene products can be a great source of waste. To be greener, Marnach recommends buying deodorant in a paper tube and solid toothpaste to eliminate a need for plastic.

Bamboo toothbrushes are also beneficial because they are biodegradable. And since bar shampoo and soap are more concentrated, they tend to last longer and prevent overuse.

FOR A POLITICAL JUNKIE
"One activity that does not cost any money is to generally make noise at a state and federal level and support those environmental policies and budgets that advance sustainable components of your community," said Michaela Neu, director of programs and operations at Green Minneapolis.

Using your voice to advocate for environmentally conscious movements can go a long way. Consider writing to politicians, participating in events that promote sustainability and talking about it with friends and family.

FOR A LIFELONG LEARNER
Educating yourself is a quick, easy and low-barrier way to enter the sustainability scene. Rice recommends a few resources: Project Drawdown, the How to Save a Planet podcast and "The Climate Action Handbook" by the University of Minnesota's Heidi Roop.

Remember that small actions can have a large impact.

"It might not feel like you're making a big difference, but over time, imagine if every single person on your block did the same thing, that every single person in your town, that every single person in the state, that every single person in the country — that would divert an amazing amount of waste from the landfill, and it would make a huge difference," Haukedahl said. "We need a bunch of people doing small things to make a difference."