Easy Hacks for a Sustainable Lifestyle
We’ve all been there. We want to do our part for the planet, but it seems so daunting. We may think it requires a great deal of effort, but really, it just takes one small shift in the way we do things.
To make it easier for all of us, here are some easy hacks to start living a sustainable lifestyle. It may not get us top scores on the sustainability score card, but hey, we’re already winning when we feel good about our actions and our efforts in helping our beautiful planet.
1. Take shorter showers
We know. It feels so good to be in the shower sometimes. You just want to enjoy and pamper yourself a little …. and before you realize it, you’ve spent almost an hour in the bathroom. While it feels great to be in the shower, it feels even better when you’re out of it. You know that super clean, super comfy feeling after taking a shower? That’s the real deal.
Instead of focusing on pampering yourself in the shower, why not focus on getting the shower done real quick and then really pampering yourself after the shower? Applying yummy-smelling lotion all over your skin, rubbing luxuriously thick serum onto your hair, and mindfully patting your skincare products onto your face…. Sounds like heaven. What’s even better is that you’re cutting down on water usage and your water bill at the same time. Double win!
2. Start a home recycling culture
Try this: Place a large cardboard box at one corner in your kitchen. Throughout the week or month, whenever you finish using a box of cereal or a bottle of shampoo, wash and dry that bottle (for plastics/metals) and throw it into the cardboard box. It can be anything recyclable, from empty yogurt containers to empty skincare tubs to pieces of paper to empty boxes or bags you received from your online shopping haul. In no time, you’ll notice that the cardboard box is brimming with items.
Not only is this an eye-opener to how much waste we generate in our daily lives without really realizing, but it also gives us an opportunity to recycle this waste. Depending on your local regulations, either sort your waste by type or not, and send it for recycling. In Singapore, we have recycling bins conveniently placed at the void decks of most residential blocks. In your area, locate the nearest recycling point and just go for it!
3. Go vegetarian or vegan for one day a week
Did you know that eating one less burger a week is the equivalent of taking your car off the road for 320 miles (514 km)? And if you pull your family and friends to join you in going vegetarian for one day a week, its the equivalent of taking your car off the road for a full 5 weeks. To take this further, why not opt for dairy-alternatives for your drinks? By switching for dairy-alternatives such as oat milk or soy milk, the level of greenhouse gases emitted is two thirds lower, if not more! (Source)
The options for vegetarian and vegan food have blossomed in recent years, and now there are plenty of delicious and affordable vegetarian and vegan restaurants and food outlets around, no matter where you are. We have come a long way from the days where vegetarian food meant bland, uninspiring dishes. Now, we’re spoilt for choice with vegetarian food in almost every cuisine. Korean, Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Western, you name it, there’s a vegetarian stall selling it! Why not start today, and start exploring the mouth-watering vegetarian stalls in your area?
4. Go reusable!
If you haven’t already embarked on the reusable journey, then try this. Choose a reusable coffee mug which you like, and put it in your bag. The next time you find yourself ordering a takeaway drink, take the mug out and ask for the drink to be poured inside instead of a disposable cup. Try this for a week or two, and you’ll start to get used to it. As a bonus, some stalls even offer small discounts for you bringing your own mug!
As you get used to the reusable lifestyle, expand it to include more reusable items. Throw one or two reusable bags into your daily backpack, and you’ll really see it come into handy. Gather your reusable dining “gear”, ie: reusable container, straw, utensils and even your reusable mug as well! Pack them so its convenient and easy to carry, and place them in your bag. The next time you order a takeaway meal, take out your “gear” and use them!
Household-wise, swap your disposable paper napkins for reusable tablecloths. You can make your own very easily, by cutting up old t-shirts or clothes into small scraps of cloth. Use these to clean up spillages, wipe things down, and to keep your home neat and tidy. Much better than having to keep stocking up on paper napkins!
5. Go local, go organic!
Support your local farmers by buying local produce. What’s better is opting for local and organic produce. By choosing local, you’re cutting down on the emissions generated from transporting the produce from overseas. As a bonus, buying local produce may even mean you’re getting fresher produce, as it takes lesser time to reach your supermarket shelves from the farm, as compared to imported produce. Yay!
And by choosing organic, you’re cutting down on the fertilizers and pesticides used on non-organic produce, which contribute to environmental pollution. As an added bonus, you can eat your produce while basking in the knowledge that you’re not feeding yourself with pesticides and fertilizers. On top of that, you can feel good not just about eating your veggies, but also about having done your part for the environment.
6. Turn unused switches off
I remember hearing this being encouraged by my country, Singapore’s, local environmental agency since 20 years ago, but until now, I still see switches being left on when unused. It baffles me how some people can blatantly leave the electricity running even when no one is using it. The worst sight to see is office buildings with the lights (and presumably air conditioning) being left on for several floors, overnight. Clearly, there is no one using the facilities, yet no one bothers to switch these appliances off.
Another huge waste of electricity and resources I see is in my gym. The gym I go to has sauna and steam room facilities in both the male and female changing rooms, and these are left on throughout the day, even when there’s not a single soul using them. I can only imagine the amount of electricity it eats up to generate the amount of heat and steam needed for an entire sauna or steam room. While these are more extreme examples, we also see more common examples in daily life. For instance, switches for monitor screens or laptop chargers being left on in the office when not being used. These may seem like small things, but they really add up. So please, turn the switches off!
Summary
Choosing to live a sustainable lifestyle isn’t hard. All it takes is a small effort to get things going, and a little bit more effort to keep it going. Start by throwing a reusable mug into your bag, placing a cardboard box to collect recyclable items in your home, cut your shower time, go vegetarian for one day a week, support your local organic farmers, and turn unused switches off. By doing these, or even just a few of these, you’re already contributing greatly to taking care of our beautiful planet. Soon, you’ll find that you’re well and truly living the sustainable lifestyle, with hardly any effort at all!
#ecoFriendly #hacks #health #lifestyle #sustainability #sustainableLiving #Tips
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