If you and I are here on the internet and discussing ‘Sustainable Living’, we have probably lived at least two decades or so. But wait, did we/are we doing it the right way? This requires retrospection and that may take a while.
So, what do we mean by the ‘right way’ you may ask. The answer is one simple word – Sustainably. And that’s exactly what Hued preaches and is here to help you with.
According to UNESCO,
“Sustainability is a paradigm for thinking about the future in
which environmental, societal and economic considerations are balanced?
in the pursuit of an improved quality of life.”
It simply means utilizing the very limited resources, keeping in mind the future and the later generations and their needs. And on this philosophy, is built the concept of Sustainable Living.
Sustainable living is a way of living that vouches mindful utilization of resources that minimizes the waste produced while also considering the coming generations. It is being conscious of how you and your everyday life, and your daily usage of resources impacts not only the environment today but will also have an impact in years to come. It suggests a watchful consumption of what is given to us by our beloved earth, and further minimizing the damage we give back to her. In an ideal scenario, it is returning what we take from it. The other way of doing the same is by being considerate of the fellow Earthers. This includes making sure and actively working towards achieving equal distribution of the natural as well as the other resources.
Now we have heard of the ‘living in the moment’ agenda, and while we enthusiastically preach it in many aspects, but not when it comes to the earth and its assets. We can’t morally live wild, buy and consume however and bury whatever, like there is no tomorrow, because let’s hope there is, and hopefully a good one.
This may seem a goal too big for an individual, but hey!
you and I together, make ‘we’ and together, we bring change.
In the hopes that you are a bit clearer on the topic and are passionately looking for HOWs (to live sustainably) and WHATs (to do to live sustainably), we firstly congratulate you on this decision and secondly, bring to you a good list of¸ hinges and baby steps you can take towards the sustainable highway.
A small start is a big step.
So, grab your to do list and scroll on!
- Save Energy, Fuel, Water
Cliché, but very important.
- Turn off switches before leaving the room.
- Unplug devices when not in use.
- Opt for energy saving lights, bulbs and other appliances.
- Air dry clothes and hair, instead of using driers or hating devices.
- Give your tube lights a break and make good use of natural sunlight during the day.
- Cover up air leaks when using AC or cooling devices.
- Reduce use of heaters or air conditioners, and enjoy natural pleasant weather as much as possible.
- Turn the tap off while brushing, shaving, etc.
- Take shorter showers, use pail and mug instead.
- Cook on small burners for smaller pots and on big burners for bigger ones.
- Use solar energy.
- Turn off the car’s engine at red lights, in traffic or while waiting.
- Opt to walk or cycle for shorter distances, embrace car free life altogether.
- Bid Adieu to Plastic
Many places have already banned the use of plastic, and so should you. Start by ditching the single use plastic and switch to reusable steel or glass bottles and utensils, cloth bags, metal straws, and more.
- Change the way you Shop
- Firstly, use whatever you have. This helps to reduce the waste generated.
- Shop when required. And when you do, try and shop without packaging or in reusable packaging.
- Invest in reusable products, avoid single use items.
- Shop local! They cost less and come without unnecessary over the top packaging. Shopping local further helps small livelihoods and is also good for the economy.
- Purchase fair-trade. Look for fair trade certification in products. This indicates that the products were grown/manufactured in safe-planet friendly ways and the artisans were payed and treated good.
- Take your own (cloth) bags and containers for grocery shopping.
- Sustainable Fashion
- Step away from fast fashion and stop running behind trends.
- Invest in classic and versatile pieces of clothing and accessories.
- Try shopping second hand clothes.
- Don’t hoard clothes, keep donating pieces you no longer wear.
- Build a capsule wardrobe.
- Shop mindfully, choose quality over quantity.
- Again, shop from local and small brands.
- Other
- Reduce the use of paper. Go paperless and digital as much as possible.
- Send e-invitations for weddings, birthdays, other events.
- Start composting.
- Use reusable makeup wipes and pads.
- Opt for clean and non-chemical beauty brands and products.
- Makes a shift from pads and tampons to menstrual cup. They are good investment and run long.
- Share and exchange books amongst friends. Or buy second hand. Even better, read on a kindle/pdf version.
- Replace regular newspaper to e-paper.
The list doesn’t end here. There are many other things one can do, but we’ll refrain from overwhelming you with tons and tons of dos and don’ts for now. But don’t you worry, we’ll keep bringing you more sustainable solutions and suggestions, article after article.
Simply know Sustainable Living is less of a ‘some days of hard work and quick results’ and more of a ‘baby steps, every day, consistently’ and so it may be a long ride but is a very, very important one and let this very article be the start of it.