Photos of turtles with plastic straws in their nostrils, birds choking on face masks, and other lovely animals suffering as a result of people’s infatuation with single-use items abound on social media these days. What can you do as a regular shopper to help?
The solution is to make every effort to live a more sustainable existence. Don’t get us wrong: this term has undoubtedly been used as clickbait millions of times, but it’s more than that. It’s a way of living that requires you to be more aware of everything you consume.
The Philippines’ population is expected to reach 144 million by 2050, and with more people comes more demand for housing, food, travel, and clothing. Given the Philippines’ already limited resources and biodiversity, the only option to mitigate this is to change our lifestyle.
In your effort to live a more sustainable life, you are not alone. According to the Who Cares, Who Does poll conducted by Kantar, the world’s largest data, insights, and consulting firm, 75 percent of Filipinos favor sustainable and environmentally friendly products. For millions of Filipinos, this tremendous upheaval heralds the dawn of a new age.
What does it mean to live in a sustainable manner?
To help safeguard the Earth, sustainable living entails minimizing the number of resources you use. You may do this in a variety of ways, including reducing your energy consumption, using environmentally friendly items, and modifying your diet – but more on that later!
To summarize, to live a sustainable lifestyle, you should endeavor to have as little influence on the environment as possible while also attempting to replenish the resources you do use.
What is the significance of living sustainably?
We are currently generating resources, using energy, and producing waste at an unsustainable rate. This results in environmental problems like pollution and climate change, which impact the environment, wildlife, and humans.
You can lower your carbon footprint and assist to address these challenges by adopting simple lifestyle adjustments.
How to live a more environmentally friendly lifestyle
If you’re looking for ways to live a more sustainable lifestyle but don’t know where to start, try some of these suggestions:
Conserve energy.
You may assist to reduce carbon emissions by using less energy. Switching off standby appliances, turning down the heat, and hanging clothes to dry instead of using the dryer are just a few methods to save energy at home.
Reduce your meat consumption.
Meat production is one of the most significant causes of climate change and landscape and river pollution. You may assist to decrease the impact of the meat industry on the environment by eating less of it.
Reusable alternatives should be used.
Single-use products, particularly those made of plastic, frequently wind up in landfills and the ocean, posing a threat to wildlife and the environment. Avoid this by opting for reusable and environmentally friendly alternatives.
Go paperless
To save paper, select to receive letters through email and only print documents when absolutely necessary. You might also request that stores send you your receipt by email rather than printing it.
Utilize renewable energy sources.
Consider using renewable energy to power your home to reduce the number of carbon emissions you make. Replacing your gasoline or diesel-powered vehicle with an electric vehicle will also help you attain this goal!
Reuse and recycle
Put your trash in the appropriate bins to ensure that you’re recycling. Also, to reduce waste, attempt to reuse products and items as many times as possible before discarding them.
Grow your own fruits and vegetables.
You can avoid using pesticides that contribute to water and air pollution by producing your own fruits and vegetables. This will also contribute to a reduction in the number of fossil fuels used to transport food to retailers.
Donate objects that are no longer in use.
If you no longer use or use a product or piece of clothing, donate it to a charity shop or someone you know who could benefit from it to help minimize waste.
Conserve water.
Making a few modest improvements in and around your home can help you save water. To avoid wasting drinking water, consider constructing a water butte and using gray water.
Purchase fair-trade goods.
When a product is Fairtrade certified, it signifies it was made by a firm dedicated to long-term sustainability. Keep an eye out for the Fairtrade label on things you purchase.
Less driving
If your destination is close enough, walk or ride your bike there instead of driving — it’s better for the environment and your health. Another good way to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions is to take public transportation.
Don’t throw food away.
Don’t throw away leftovers if you have any. Save them for the next day’s lunch or tea, or even freeze them. If they do go bad, you can use them to make compost for your garden.
Bottomline
In a society where many of us have the opportunity to live beyond our means, sustainable living may appear contradictory. Many of us aren’t even aware that we’re doing it, but whenever you leave your electronics plugged in overnight, drive somewhere you could walk, or throw away something that might have been reused or recycled, you’re using more energy than you need.
Such behaviors do not have immediate consequences, but they do have long-term ramifications.
When we study this subject, we like to conduct a poll in which we ask people to characterize sustainability in two words. The majority of people respond with words like “environment” or “green.” While these are popular responses, there is a distinction to be made between “being green” and “being sustainable.”
This blog post will look at what sustainable living is, why it’s important, and some pointers on how to get started.
