Sustainable Living - 10 Ways to Start

Hello, amor! Welcome back. 

According to Karen Ellis, Chief Advisor for Economics and Development of WWF-UK,

“We are living in a time when human impacts on the environment are changing the face of our planet.”

The planet has finite resources and a limited carrying capacity. If we continue our current rate of consumption, use of resources, and emission of greenhouse gasses, we will face the severe consequences of climate change within our lifetime. The great thing is we can be mindful of choices we make and we can be advocates for more sustainable living. 

We love that you are into sustainable fashion. Are you also into slow food? Do you buy vintage and support local? To support your journey of being a mindful consumer here’s a list of simple things we can do to live more sustainably. 

You don’t have to do them all in order, nor do you even have to do all of them right away, but we just wanted to suggest some ways on how you can make a difference even in your own little ways. Let’s dive into it!

Save energy

Saving electricity or increasing efficiency in our energy can lower greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants, as well as decrease water use. Not only is it environmentally friendly, but it’ll also help you keep your electric bill low so you get to save money too! Turn off the lights and appliances that are not in use, have your A/C cleaned regularly, increase the thermostat, switch to LED lighting, line dry your laundry, install solar if possible. 


Eat less red meat

Alright, we’re not telling you to completely cut off meat from your diet but do consider eating less meat since it helps reduce risks of disease, which in turn improves your health and well-being as well. This practice also helps the environment, because producing, processing, and transporting meat requires a lot of pesticides, feed, water, and fuel. And the meat industry also creates greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change. 


Reduce the use of single use plastic and reduce packaging waste

Globally to date, there is about 8.3 billion tons of plastic in the world (and 6.3 billion tons of that is trash), so be mindful and try to use less plastic wherever you can. Bring a reusable water bottle, bring your own grocery bag, don’t ask for plastic utensils when having food delivered, switch to shampoo bars, and check out refilling options. 

Buy cruelty-free products

We learned that for shampoo, animal testing involves repeatedly dropping shampoo into the eyes of rabbits. That’s just cruel. Cruelty free means no animal testing, and these products use more natural ingredients and less harmful chemicals, especially parabens. They also usually come in more environment-friendly packaging. 

Cultivate plants and trees and grow your own produce

Obvious but bears mentioning - plants clean the air of toxins, absorb carbon dioxide, and release fresh oxygen. Gardening and growing your own produce also has its fair share of benefits. First, it keeps you active and lets you get some vitamin D from the sun. Second, it provides you with a healthier and more balanced diet compared to getting processed food. You don’t just get to save money, but this is also better for the environment. 

Dispose of e-waste properly 

E-waste can leech hazardous chemicals and enter the groundwater. At the same time, there are electronic parts that can still be reused or repurposed, thus reducing the new resources that need to be mined or produced for new gadgets or equipment. 

Compost food waste together with natural waste

Did you know that a lot of the waste that goes into the landfill is food waste? This can be leftover food from restaurants, table scraps from households, or even fruits and vegetables from the market that did not get sold because they don’t look “perfect” Food waste is a huge contributor to greenhouse gases. Instead of throwing your household food waste away, you can compost it together with dried leaves and other organic material and you can make your own natural fertilizer.

Buy fair trade products

Fair trade, as the name implies, is the opposite of unfair trade. Companies that practice fair trade make sure that the small producers in their supply chain are treated fairly. A few ways they do this are they ensure that suppliers are paid fairly and promptly, they ensure that their workers have good working conditions, and they provide working capital to suppliers so that they don’t have to avail of high interest loans to fulfill their orders. 

Repair instead of replace

Sadly, many of the items we purchase are no longer built to last. In fact they are built and designed using a planned obsolescence strategy to drive consumption. If you can, have your appliances and clothes repaired before tossing them out.  

Buy products made out of sustainable material

Of course using natural fabric is central to who we are at Armore. Through it can’t be totally avoided (for now, we hope), lessen your purchase of clothes made from polyester and other synthetic material. You can also do the same for toothbrushes (which we change every 3 months) and use bamboo toothbrushes instead, as well as choosing paper with FSC certification.

 

And that’s the end of our list! We hope these simple tips can help you get started on your journey to a more conscious and sustainable life for our environment, and for the future. Do you have any more tips or tricks to start living a more sustainable lifestyle? Feel free to share them in the comments or comment on our social media posts regarding sustainable lifestyle. While you’re at it, sign up to our newsletter to receive exclusive deals and updates from the ARMORE team. 

Until next time, amor.  

 

Credits to the following artists on pexels for the photos
https://www.pexels.com/photo/set-of-natural-reusable-cosmetic-products-4202924/
https://www.pexels.com/photo/vegetables-on-the-soil-5503338/
https://www.pexels.com/photo/pears-on-a-burlap-bag-4856568/
https://www.pexels.com/photo/green-plant-on-brown-clay-pot-4505178/

 

 

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