Nona Walia – Recycled home decor, no make-up days, zero-waste, reducing consumption, living a sustainable life isn’t easy. Everything you need to know to make small changes that make a big difference. Here’s your Sustainable Living Guide!
What does “Sustainable Living” actually look like in practice? Is it very tough, easy or highly challenging. You might be a chef trying to manage wastage or entrepreneur making critical decisions, living sustainably can be a huge challenge. According to a report, in 2022, “recycled home decor” and “zero waste lifestyle” increased by 95% in searches on Pinterest. Sustainable is a term that now can describe everything from our food, make-up, clothing, mattresses, couches to tampons and ziplocks.
We are now witnessing capitalisation of the sustainability era. Everything packaged in words like nontoxic, organic, or eco-friendly – is actually more expensive. Can we live a sustainable life without increasing our expenditure. Let’s have a minimal slow life, slow vacations; a life where we return to minimalism is much more preferred rather than the fancy industrialisation of the world sustainability. Christine Platt, author of The Afrominimalist’s Guide to Living With Less. “There’s also a difference between people who are minimalist and sustainable by choice, and those who are so by circumstance.”
Don’t try to indulge in over expensive sustainability fads. You will do more damage. Living sustainably is a lifestyle that reduces our environmental impact in many ways, from the food we buy to the daily commute. By making some small changes to your lifestyle, you can reduce your carbon footprint and help to tackle these issues. You simply need to do whatever works for you and remember that the small things matter. In her book The Sustainable Living Guide, author Jen Gale talks about ways to fit sustainable living into your life, “To change your impact without radically changing your life. It starts with changing habits that we built up over years without thinking about the impact.”
Don’t go with the notion that living sustainably is more expensive and tough. Take baby steps, we show you how!
Start Small: Nobody canlive a 100% sustainable life. Ditch that (plastic) bottled water, or those canned foods. Free yourself from packaged foods.
Replace and Recycle: Have a culture of reusing things. Mending things. Keep reusable bottle/cup and carry one with you on your travels, or your way to work. And try to implement a reduced plastic consumption in your life. Ditch that plastic toothbrush.
Slow Walking: Enjoy the joy of walking. Move. Track: Your garbage and waste, check your CO2 footprint. There are many websites and apps, protect the climate.
Try to use Shampoo bars: They are natural and don’t use plastic bottles.
Make sustainable choices: When shopping, travelling and eating out. Purchase consciously.
Recycle your trash properly. Choose biodegradable alternatives, when purchasing home-products and disposing off things you don’t need. Be aware how you throw things.
Eat seasonal: Eat local and seasonal, in-season fruits and veggies are healthier and more nourishing in vitamins.
Stop any wastage: Golden rule here is: Don’t buy more than you need. Don’t order more at a restaurant, than you can eat.
Connect with nature and appreciate all that it does, in order for us to exist on this planet.
Choose Eco-Friendly Furniture: Buy pieces that are made locally, by local craftspeople, and from new or repurposed sustainable materials.
Purchase Energy-Efficient Appliances: Using Energy Star-rated home appliances is an easy way to reduce your carbon footprint. If you have an old fridge or washer/dryer that’s not Energy Star certified, consider replacing it with one that is.
Try some Reusable Packaging: It’s always nice having a stainless water bottle around because it makes you feel better about yourself every time you drink from it.
Compost: Composting is a great way to reduce waste. It also helps you grow your own food and reduce the amount of food that goes to landfills. The sweeter part is that you can compost in your backyard, on your balcony, or even indoors.
Try to use Shampoo bars: They are natural and don’t use plastic bottles.
Experiment with Vegan footwear: Fashion footwear too is having a sustainability moment. Shraddha Joshi, founder of SoleWeavers has launched her Vegan footwear, “We carefully source our raw materials within India to craft shoes responsibly. In shoe-making, we ensure that every raw material is efficiently used and there is no harm to any life. Proud to say that we are a cruelty-free, homegrown brand that not only cares for the quality we offer to the people but also cares for the planet.”
Make your life greener: Be it cooking or cleaning, make kinder choices. Love your leftovers. Look at what basics you’re binning.
Reduce your washing: Author Erin Rhoads’ book Waste Not Everyday points out that “the majority of the environmental burden caused by fashion happens after we take the clothing home: 82% of the energy a garment will use is in the washing and drying we do each week”.
Plant something: Every month, plant something. Whether it’s a vegetable garden, flowers or some trees, adding some greenery to your life is a simple way to make a positive impact on the environment. Add greenery to every corner and room.
