You might think that the action of one person doesn’t matter when it comes to making sustainable choices. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Every sustainable choice you make has an impact. And every person who consciously or subconsciously makes better and more environmentally friendly choices contributes to a global effort to protect the earth and the world we live in.
The thing with making the right choices is to do it for the right reasons. And to do it consistently. Making small changes, you can stick to is better than grand gestures you cannot sustain in the long run. We all know now that straws are the enemy of the oceans, along with plastic waste such as shopping bags. Many people are trying to reduce how much plastic they use, but what else can you do to increase your sustainability efforts and make a bigger (or technically smaller) impact on the world around you?
Period Products
One single sanitary pad can take up to 800 years to decompose. For seven days using approximately four pads per day, this is 28 pads for a period for one person. Think about that.
Suppose you swapped over to more eco-friendly period options such as sustainable woolworths sanitary pads, menstrual cups or period underwear. In that case, you could eliminate your impact on the world around you massively.
Avoid Fast Fashion
Fast fashion is designed to appeal to your frivolous nature. We all have one, and the price point and availability of fast fashion means you can continually add to your wardrobe time and time again. But is this a good habit to indulge in? Not, the manufacturing process of fast fashion, not to mention working conditions and the materials used, means these clothes have a relatively short life span and end up languishing in the bottom of your closet until eventually ending up in landfill.
Choose more sustainable materials such as bamboo or organic cotton and ask yourself if the item will pass the 30 wear test. If you don’t think you will wear it at least 30 times, is it sustainable, and do you need it? Donate old clothing instead of throwing them out to extend its lifespan and reduce the effect of fast fashion on the planet.
Buy What You Need
In recent years, the onus on our lifestyle is to buy everything and have it all. With so much more choice at our fingertips, it is easy to become sucked into the trappings of a glutenous lifestyle. But by being more conscious about what you need and what you are buying, you can reduce your waste.
Start with your food shopping. Write a list of what you will need for the next few days or weeks as per your income and shop from that list. Create a meal plan and use food while it is in date not to waste it. Stretch your meals and make your food go further to not only buy less but eat better too.
Once you have perfected this, move onto areas of your life such as clothing, furniture, accessories and so on.
*This is a collaboration post
