When it comes to sustainability, there is not a specific guideline that you have to follow in order to count as a sustainable consumer. I prefer that you are mindful instead, and choose what you choose as long as you understand the consequences and make informed decisions that you can live with. Sustainability is not a game. You can't win or lose at it - it's a way of life.
Not many things are more disheartening than people who say things like "I'm only one person - nothing I do will ever make a difference so why bother" or "why should I change when it's the big industries who pollute".
What many might not know is that even the smallest of gestures can be tweaked at no greater cost to the person performing them, in order for them to go from unsustainable to sustainable. Even the smallest tweak can have a snowball effect in the bigger picture. Such a little thing can be swapping out items in your household (blog post on that coming up).
Anyway - I am here to tell you that it is never too late to start making mindful changes and tweaks to your everyday habits that will have insignificant impacts on our planet. In the list below I will give you five simple examples of how to be more sustainable in your everyday consumption.
Here are 5 sustainable things you can start doing today with little to no effort:
1. Leave the car at home and take public transport - or even ride your bike if you want. You get fresh air, feel more awake and get your daily exercise in.
2. If you work at a place that uses single use paper cups for the coffee machine, bring your own mug to work instead and reuse it during the day.
3. When you wash your hands in the bathroom try shaking your hands off and letting them air dry instead of using the dryer or paper towels.. If you don't like air drying, then the dryer is a tad better option than using paper towels. (gotta save that forest).
4. If you buy lunch from places that serve their food in single use containers, you can bring your own Tupperware box or glass jar for them to fill. Make sure to also refuse single use cutlery, and bring some from the office/home that can be washed afterwards instead.
5. If you tend to pop out for errands or to buy snacks, make sure to keep a reusable bag at work that you can use for these impromptu cravings so that you wont feel the need to reach for a plastic bag at the checkout.
See - these 5 simple actions will not change the quality of your life in anyway but it will make you a more mindful and sustainable person!
I challenge you to try out at least one of these and let me know if you have any great tips of your own that you'd like to share with my readers in another blog post.
You can send me your tips on: contact@mariebeatricegade.com or comment below.
If you're interested in seeing what my sustainable jewellery looks like, check them out here.
Til next time my loves :)
xx Marie
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