We have heard the term ‘sustainable’ and sustainable living quite a lot by now. Whether it is from an Instagram bio or lifestyle bloggers, this new lifestyle habit is gaining a lot of attention. It almost feels that the term ‘sustainable’ is almost being overused at this point. People have been bragging about it and consider it very beneficial. Many took at it as a trend, which has made its way into the social media world and has created a magnificent buzz. But trends are temporary and every day we find something new and viral. Is this ‘sustainable living’ also a trend and would disappear just like others or is it something that is going to stay and we should genuinely be thinking about?

What Is Sustainable Living?

Sustainable living is a way of living in which an attempt is made to reduce the dependency on natural resources to live a better life. Understanding your lifestyle and its requirements and making positive choices in it for the environment around us is the main objective of sustainable living. The people practising it aims to reduce their carbon footprints. 

It is also known as “earth harmony living” or “net-zero living”. 

With the rising population, the demand for natural resources is increasing day by day. According to the UN Environment Programme, if the global population reaches 9.6 billion by 2050, we could need “the equivalent of almost three planets to provide the natural resources needed to sustain current lifestyles.” It is very simple. More people means more food, more transportation, more housing, more medical supplies and more fashion. In this world of unsurmountable demands, these increased demands put immense pressure on the environment and thus it is exposed to great risk.  The serious threat of climate change and loss of biodiversity is already here and warned about. Thus, sustainable living encourages people to make better choices in life. The choices we make in our lifestyle should be made keeping in my mind the environment as well, to achieve environmental equilibrium. 

How To Adopt Sustainable Living?

With enough being said about sustainable living if you want to adopt it in your lifestyle, here are a few tips from us that can lead you to live sustainability and make your bit towards the environment.

The first and foremost thing to adopt a sustainable life is to have genuine thought. 

If you have a thought, the consciousness, the awareness about the environment, then you have successfully passed the first step. 

We believe nobody can force you to adopt a sustainable life until it comes from within. No influencer, no article can force you into it and that is why the first step in our guide is to have a thought. Once you have that, you are all set to go.

Next, you have to understand your lifestyle. Your daily needs and requirements are to be noted. And now your thinking game begins. This time you don’t have to only think about yourself. Think from the point of view of your environment. Your need shouldn’t be too much reliant on the environment and the natural resource. The key is to find an alternative to your current lifestyle.

Key Alternatives to Your Current Lifestyle For Sustainable Living

1. Use Reusables

Using reusables is an important step in sustainable living. The use and throw habit sound very convenient but it creates heaps of waste. Just try to te recall how many pens you have used and thrown away. This waste affects our environment in one or another way. The use of reusables should be adopted in order to reduce waste production. For example- you can use a travel flask instead of purchasing a coffee takeaway cup every day, you can use containers that can be washed and used again, use washable cloths instead of paper towels etc.

2. Conserving Energy and Water

Electricity is very precious and we certainly need to do our every bit to save it. Energy-efficient bulbs should be purchased and the excessive use of electrical appliances should be avoided. Turning off the lights when not in use and unplugging appliances that are not used daily should be the priority.

Unnecessary water wastages should be reduced. The leaking taps should be repaired immediately and we should learn to be mindful of our water consumption especially during showers and washings. The water used in the washing of vegetables can be used in the garden.

3. Avoid Food Wastage

Food wastage is something that gets often ignored. We should understand our food requirements and cook according to that. Cooking too much food is okay as long as it gets consumed. A threat like global hunger is also looming here, so we should be mindful of our food wastages. Avoid stocking up the refrigerator with the food which ultimately goes in the bin.

According to UNEP, just in the United States 30 per cent of all food, worth US$48.3 billion (€32.5 billion), is thrown away each year.

4. Travel More Consciously

For long distances, you can certainly use your vehicles but be mindful of it. Your vehicle should be well maintained so that it doesn’t cause too much pollution. Opt for cycling, it is very environmentally friendly and also good for health. In the case of short distances, walking is also a good alternative. Consider carpooling and the use of public transport in case of long-distance travellings.

5 Reconsider your shopping list.

If and when you shop, do so with intention instead of impulse. You shouldn’t be hoarding stuff. In the case of fashion and clothing, if you feel you need new clothes, you can possibly try thrifting or rental wear. You can start switching to more biodegradable fabric. In the case of sustainable makeup, you should look for refillable makeup and cosmetic. Similarly, sustainable packaging options should be considered.

6. Buy from truly sustainable brands and companies.

We should consider promoting the brands which come up with sustainable fashion and lifestyle products. Sustainable beauty products are hitting the market. It is not only ethically but also encourages brands to come up with more sustainable products.

7. Go organic

Try to find more and more organic products. The artificially produced products and very harmful to the environment, so we should consider giving our priority first to organic products rather than inorganics.

Why Is Sustainable Living Important?

1. Better Environment Health-

Going sustainable is very beneficial for the environment. Less pollution, cleaner water, fewer greenhouse gases emission, waste control are the things we look forward to from our environment. 

2. Improves Community Health

The quality of our environment affects our health. With our small steps and initiatives, we can help reduce the potential toxicity of the environment. Cleaner air, less waste and less pollution will help foster a healthier community.

3. Maintains Resources For Future Generations

Sustainable living is not only confined to us. It’s a small step we are taking for our future generation. We want to pass them a healthy and breathable environment which is suitable for living. Perhaps the most important reason why sustainable living is important is so the world is inhabitable for future generations. 

We can’t be selfish and need to be mindful of our actions. Making sure the air is clean and there are enough resources is our responsibility to future generations. Making a conscious effort to live sustainably helps ensure that there will be enough to meet their needs. That means having a low environmental impact and focusing on sustainable development.

Our Final Thoughts

We strongly feel sustainable living is not a trend, it’s a need for an hour. Sustainable living is a hollow and vague term until you actually start practising it. We have to use our better judgement here. We can not see everything through the lens of social media. Sustainable living is a genuine concern and an effort for a better life. If we start thinking about our environment now, then only we can preserve it and maybe pass it on to our future generations. The change does not need to be drastic, even baby steps are enough towards this change. The positive attitude we carry towards our environment will certainly lead to a better, happier and peaceful life.

So we encourage you to consider thinking about living sustainably and adopting this new change.