There are many of us that are seeking to live a more sustainable life. Sustainable living means prioritizing the use of natural and renewable resources instead of creating excess waste and depleting the resources from Mother Earth for future generations.
Living more sustainable doesn't mean having to give up all of the common comforts or luxuries in your life, but making small changes and adjustments.
Here are some examples of sustainable living that you can easily implement in your own life:
Reducing the use of single use plastics we use: plastic takes billions of years to decompose, and the hazardous chemicals that they contain are associated with the deaths of thousands of marine mammals, seabirds, sea turtles, and seals after ingesting the plastic or having been trapped in them.
Reducing the overall household energy use: this can simply be done by turning off lights and appliances when not in use, installing energy-efficient appliances, use of programmable thermostat that regulates the temperature, hang clothes to dry as an alternative to using the dryer.
Finding creative ways to reuse everything: this can include reusing plastic packaging, bottles, and cups for other purposes. As well as reusing mugs, jugs, magazines, shoes, clothes, mats, towels, etc. Instead of throwing them away, you can resell or donate the items, as well as, up-cycle or re-purpose them.
Cooking and eating locally: this is a great way to live a more sustainable life. Instead of taking a trip to the grocery store, shop for vegetables, fruits, and other products locally as those in the grocery store consume huge amounts of fossil fuel during transportation. Even better if you can grow your own herbs, vegetables, and fruits. You don't even need a lot of space to grow your own!
Conserving water: this can also be an easy way to live more sustainably. By installing water-efficient toilets, using water-efficient washers, and water-saving shower heads can help conserve a lot of water. For watering your garden collecting, and using rain water is very effective.
Purchasing clothes second hand, handmade or that are made from sustainable fabrics: Fashion production makes up 10% of humanity's carbon emissions, dries up water sources, and pollutes rivers and streams. As well, 85% of all textiles go to the landfill each year (1). Buying or swapping second hand clothes, keeps clothing out of the landfill for that much longer. There's also hand making your own clothes or purchasing from a local maker, which provides better quality clothing that will last for years to come. Another great option for purchasing clothing is to buy items that are made from sustainable fabrics such as bamboo, organic cotton, organic hemp, silk, wool, or recycled fabrics. Fabrics made from these materials are less toxic and use less water.
These are just a few ideas to get you started on a more sustainable path. We are learning everyday how important it is for us to make better choices in our day to day lives. It doesn't have to be difficult, but taking some time to think before grabbing that plastic straw, or produce bag can really set in motion habits that can help the planet for generations to come.
Check out our shop for some great eco-friendly products to start your more sustainable living journey.
These Facts Show How Unsustainable The Fashion Industry Is. By: Morgan McFall-Johnsen. World Economic Forum. http://www.weforum.org.