If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably got a little voice in your head that recoils in horror when you see someone accidentally drop a corner of crisp packet foil. Seriously though, there’s lots of ways we can adjust all areas of our lives to make for more sustainable living. Language learning is no exception. Here’s some ideas towards eco-friendly and sustainable language learning.

First, we need to define some words. Because language, ammarite?

It’s important that we’re on the same page when it comes to the word ‘sustainable’ and we’re not just thinking of brands ‘green-washing’ everything they do by slapping the word ‘sustainable’ or ‘eco’ on their website.

Sustainable means that something can continue forever.

So, sustainable language learning is language learning that can continue forever.

Buying ALL the books every time you get curious about a language you’ve never heard of? Not sustainable. Unless you live in a library with enough space to store them all. Because sooner or later you’ll have to adjust that behaviour to either buy less new books or get rid of some older ones.

Another (extreme) example. Committing to immersion to the point that you fly between every French speaking country on the planet multiple times a year. Not sustainable, and not just because you’d be extremely jet-lagged but also because planes (currently) run on fossil fuels and there’s a limited supply. So it can’t continue forever.

Overall, language learning is generally a pretty low-impact thing to do in terms of environmental impact. That said, it doesn’t mean we should just carry on regardless. It’s always worth addressing these things. That’s why I’m talking sustainable language learning in this article.

And! One very important note before I share these ideas with you – these are just that: ideas.

I’m not in the shame game. It’s very easy to read stuff about environmental issues and feel a sense of shame, guilt, or even denial. That’s not what this is about for me.

You don’t have to commit to putting all of these ideas into practice, especially not all at once. Do what feels right and fits for you now. See how/if you can change more down the line.

Lots of people doing it imperfectly has the power to make more impact than a handful doing things perfectly.

With that said, let’s get to it!

Less Paper, Same Learning

Replace Paper with Digital Notes

Let’s start easy. Recycled notebooks are a good starting point. And they don’t have to be mushy brown paper either. These from Rebound Books are adorable!

Have you heard the term ‘wish-cycling’? The truth is (depending on where we live), most of what we pop in the recycling bin doesn’t get recycled.

Paper is generally ok on that front, but if it’s greasy or stained, maybe not. I found this list helpful.

The obvious way to use less paper is to take your notes digital – Google Drive, Notion, Evernote – there’s plenty of choice.

But it might not “feel” the same. There is something to be said for the physical act of writing, especially if you’re learning a language with a writing system different to what you’re used to.

If you’re committed to using less paper, there are other options out there too.

Rocketbook is a ‘smart notebook’ that saves your handwritten notes to the cloud and is reuseable. Although it’s worth noting that you do need a specific type of pen (with a plastic casing), but I think you can get refills so don’t need a whole new plastic pen each time.

Another option is reMarkable, a tablet, which again saves your notes digitally, that feels like writing on paper (I’m reliably informed!).

If I’m honest, this feels like if you’re fully committed to zero paper notes, reMarkable is a stronger option as it’s likely to last longer. But it’s worth using the notebooks/paper you have first! Personally, I’ve got a lot to get through first!

Minimise your scrappy memos

One thing I learnt from this link is that sticky paper can’t be recycled. That includes sticky notes. So it’s time to ditch the memo-pad. Well, it’s time to use what you have and not buy any new ones.

Instead, there must be some scrap paper lying around your house you can cut up and use instead for those odd words and notes here and there?

Consider the Digital Impact

As we’ve seen, digital is a reasonable way to go if we’re aiming to use less paper. And I’m not here to be a downer, but we do need to consider the digital impact too.

The internet isn’t “clean”. I learnt a lot from this article about how much carbon it takes to send an email, watch a video, stream a song etc.

It’s too easy to let this spiral and think “Screw it! I’m going to have to write my notes in sand and then commit them to memory somehow so I can reuse the sand!”

We can use the Internet. It’s fine.

Really, the best we can do at this stage if you opt for digital over paper is to check if your internet supplier runs on 100% renewable energy. In the UK at least, many now offer this as standard.

Re-think ‘new’

Shop second-hand + local

I have a whole shelf of language books. I love it. It makes me happy. Books I’ve read, books I’m slowly reading, books I’ll one day use to learn a new language.

But…truth is, the vast majority of these books I’ve picked up from library sales, second-hand shops, and independent sellers when abroad.

When it comes to buying physical language resources like books and courses, it’s always worth checking local libraries, second-hand shops, and if there’s nothing there, heading online to resellers. (I mean…I probably don’t need to say it, but there’s more options than Amazon here).

World of Books, Better World Books, Oxfam Books are all good choices when buying second hand books.

Hive and Bookshop.org are great options for new books too that supports local bookshops.

Language learning swap!

If you’ve got some friends who are equally as into language learning as you, then why not host a sustainable language learning swap?

Much like people do with clothes, get together, take along your old resources that you’re finished with and see if your friends want those or you can make use of theirs.

If you live far away, you can do this digitally too and then post items to each other.

Only buy new when it’s your only option

Of course, from time to time, there will be the need for new stuff. Whether it’s books and resources or more expensive things like tech, try to only buy new when it’s really needed. Tech can often be really hard to recycle.

Not only does this lower emissions and packaging from unnecessary deliveries, but it also helps to keep you sane without an overload of excess!

Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Repurpose, Recycle

Become stationery conscious

If you’ve opted to stick to paper in your journey for more sustainable language learning, it’s also worth being conscious of the stationery you use.

Sure, that set of pens and highlighters will look glorious on Instagram, but do you really need stationery with that much plastic? And besides, isn’t there like 17 pens hiding down the back of your sofa, in *that* drawer, and behind your desk?

Have a good rummage round and gather your stationery to ensure you’re only buying stuff when you need it. Then when you do need stuff, The Green Stationery Company is a great starting point. They offer refillable pens and highlighters. There’s lots of other suggestions in this blog article from Sustainable Jungle too.

Really, much like with notebooks and paper, it’s a case of using what you have and then committing to buying better from now.

Consider ways to use rubbish!

Maybe you’ve been tempted by those flashy plastic card holders or fancy plastic trays to hold your notes or your flashcards? Pause! Before you buy anything for the job, is there something lurking in your recycling that could work?

Recycling (especially as it can end up as ‘wish-cycling’ without our knowledge), is the last resort. Is there a way we can reuse or repurpose the plastic tubs and packaging that comes into our lives?

On my desk as I write this, I have one pen holder I made from 4 old cassettes, one that’s an old olive jar with the label because it says ‘Lindsay Olives’, and one that was a non-so-great functioning terere drinking cup I bought in Paraguay. Technically none of them are pen pots but they all hold pens!

Related: DIY Language Crafts in The Home

Embrace Where You Are

Find local and online chances to practise

Language immersion doesn’t have to mean hopping on a plane. If we’re talking sustainable language learning, plane upon plane upon plane doesn’t really fit.

You probably know by now that I’m a big supporter of language learning wherever you are in the world. So start local.

Are there any language exchanges, meetups, or events happening near you? If so, go for it – and see if you can use public or you-powered transport to get there!

If not, no worries, you’ve got the internet at your fingertips.

Meetup, Eventbrite, and Online Language Exchange are good places to start.

Related: 6 Tips for Language Exchange to Be Successful and Productive

Enhance the travel you take

When you do travel for whatever reason, find ways to make it worth the journey!

You may be tempted by carbon offsetting your flight (kinda like wish-cycling, right? Out of sight, out of our responsibility). But it’s not quite that simple and some say carbon offsetting doesn’t really work. So it’s probably a better approach to travel better and/or less rather than throw money at it and cover your eyes.

The benefits of travel aren’t just for yourself. So consider ways you can positively contribute to where you’re going.

Enjoy experiences with locals as far as possible. If booking in advance, you might need to use a multinational company as the “middle human”, such as Backstreet Academy or WithLocals.

Find tours that involve less fossil fuels once you’ve arrived! Try a running tour from Go Running Tours or RunningTours.net. Hire a bike or find a bike tour with Cycle Cities. Most big cities have free walking tours too, which can be a great way to get to grips with a place and learn a little of the history.

Re-think accommodation too. If you fancy it, try staying with locals. There’s lots of sites out there offering a more connected accommodation than a chain hotel that will clean your towels 7 times a day (using quite a lot of water and power in the process…!). From Couchsurfing to Homestay and Be Welcome.

You could even take this one step further and find a place to stay in exchange for volunteer work (perhaps with a sustainable or environmental focus) on Workaway. Perhaps you’re looking for complete volunteer experiences? There’s a lot of good here and a lot of…well, not so good. Do your research and pick an option that works for you and has a genuine positive impact.

I’ve shared more on how to make the most of travel for language learning here.

Bring your values into your learning

One of my favourite ways to make language learning engaging is to learn, speak, and write about things that interest me.

If you’re interested in the environment and sustainability, how can you involve this in your learning?

Perhaps you bring the topic to your classes with your tutor. Maybe you research into how a place that speaks the language you’re learning handles this. Perhaps you translate key phrases such as ‘reduce, reuse, recycle’.

There’s plenty of ways to bring your values into your sustainable language learning to explore and try.