5 TIPS FOR A (more) SUSTAINABLE LIFESTYLE

10 years ago people thought that if you want to save the planet, it's enough to switch your lights off when you leave the room, take shorter showers, and recycle your household waste.

In 2021, there are more choices to consider, and as some would claim, more individual responsibility (not everyone agrees - we will get to this later on).

As the future of our planet and COVID-19 seem to be the primary causes for stress and anxiety for most of us, people are anxious to feel like they have some control over the future and are doing the right thing. Good news - there are definitely great habits and practices you can incorporate in your daily life to feel like you are contributing towards a greener future.

 Here we go:

 1. Choose local, seasonal & plant-based produce

I know - veganism isn't for everyone as it's primarily an ethical choice. But I'm not talking about veganism - I'm talking about eating more plants. Firstly, everyone knows veggies are good for you. Why would you not give more healthy things for your body? 

According to Our World in Data, beef is the most polluting food product, emitting 99.48kg of greenhouse gas emissions per kilogram of food. Lamb and mutton follow at 39.72kg per kilogram of food. So just by cutting down your consumption of red meat, or completely ditching it, will be a huge favour to our planet. A lot of people perceive plant-based or vegan diets as restrictive, but they're actually full of abundance - there are thousands of edible plants. Cue in the colorful food pics!

Personally, my philosophy with food nowadays consists of the 3 things: local, seasonal, and plant-based. I occasionally treat myself to some cheese, I get amazing baked goods from my local, independent bakery and don't freak out if it's not vegan. I try to source for seasonal, British grown veggies, or get fresh produce from the zero-waste shop next door (luckily my neighbourhood is awesome for food!) and my partner often gets his meat from the organic butcher right next to it. I don't eat meat and wouldn't go back to it as it's a personal choice of mine, but I do believe in moderation and supporting the communities we live in.

2. Use the products you purchase until they break - and then repair them

Be honest - how often do you buy a new phone? Every 2 years? Don't worry - I used to do that too. While getting the latest technology might seem like an important boat to jump on, it's actually one of the worst consumerism traps you can get sucked in.

Our laptops, smartphones and tablets get outdated very quickly because the technology improves at a rapid speed. Technology companies are faced with an enourmous amount of competition, which forces them to use cheaper parts to put the product together as quickly as possible. Product designers simply don't have enough time or resources to build a product that would have a longer life-cycle.

The weirdest thing about it? We're okay with this, mostly.

Planned obsolescence is a term that has been widely talked about in the last few years. But is it actually true? Have manufacturers come up with an evil plan to sell more products, more frequently? As it turns out - this isn't entirely true. A lot of it actually comes down to consumers' attitudes. We are so used to being offered a replacement product that we are not demanding a longer life cycle for them. According to more than one study, most people are actually pretty content for a fridge or a laundry machine to last 5-7 years, when our parents' generation expected the same product to last a good 20 years.

So - when your phone contract ends, think before you buy a new one. Is it still intact? Does it work? Could you just maybe replace the screen, or the battery, to get it back to working condition? It usually doesn't take too much effort to repair the existing product - it might take more effort than simply buying a new one, but I personally prefer sticking with what I've become familiar with and not get distracted by the idea of getting the latest, newest and shiniest version.

5.2 billion people own a mobile phone. Now think how many new phones have to be produced to meet the demand every year if the average life cycle for a phone is 2 years. That's mad numbers.

However - when you do get rid of your old phone, please remember to recycle it. It has very valuable parts and components that can be reprocessed into a new product. Many electrics retailers happily take your old phone for recycling when you're buying a new one, or even give you some cash back for it. Also, the manufacturers will thank you!

3. Save the planet & money by buying refurbished (technology) products

Me and my partner are in desperate need of a good vacuum. As it turns out, the one I picked up on the street for free is unsurpisingly unefficient at sucking up dirt - at the moment, it's just sloppily redistributing it around the flat, no matter how well we've tried to clean its detachable parts.

Luckily for us a lot of technology companies have set up outlets for their refurbished products. This is a place for discounted products that have been put together with components sourced from their end-of-life/recycled parts. What an amazing idea, right? I've recently discovered that e.g. Dyson does this, and have been on a hunt for a good-as-new, refurbished V11. Saving hundreds of pounds on a like-new, quality product? Sign me up.

Obviously buying a refurbished product is not always an option, but especially with technology and furniture, this is definitely worth checking out before heading straight to buying new.

4. Get stylish & unique in charity/thrift/second-hand shops

I've loved second-hand shops as long as I can remember. When I was a teenager, shopping at the local flea markets was the best. thing. EVER. There's just something about the variety of selection, fiddling with objects from different homes and eras and never knowing what you will find.

Unfortunately fast fashion powered by modern slavery is still very much a thing, and is even encouraged in different channels on social media; think about the endless cheap online boutique try-on hauls on YouTube (although some positive here is the fact that fashion resale and rental markets are estimated to outgrow fast fashion by 2030. Yay!). Fashion changes every season, and people are looking to stay on trend. Fortunately fashion also evolves in cycles, so instead of clicking the latest styles in your shopping cart in an online shop, go to your local charity shop - you might be surprised by what you can find.

Whether you're looking for the perfect 90's pieces, or something more classical & timeless - I promise you won't leave empty handed. I've done some of my best clothing purchases in charity shops: 2 of my beloved winter coats are woollen designer coats from thrift shops that would've cost me hundreds of pounds new, and I also got used Dr. Martens for 2 euros. Charity shops are also an amazing way to find unique pieces for your home.

P.S. please be mindful while donating old possessions - charity shops get bags of worthless products every day, and going through them is not only time consuming, but it costs them money to get rid of the things that cannot be repurposed. Only donate goods that are still usable/in a working condition.

5. Use shared service, rent & lease

It saddens me how possessions are still an important display of status for many of us. Personally, I would like to own as little as possible. I've never dreamt of owning a fancy car, the latest tech, a big house or even any particularly expensive household items. I don't get much of a buzz from spending money - I prioritize experiences over material possessions.

One of the things circular economy promotes is shared services and minimal consumer ownership of products. This could be anything in which a product is involved but the provider retains its ownership, for example car leasing - and the beauty is, best case scenario, the customer is not responsible for the repairs either. It would all be included in the price.

There is an interesting company in the U.S. called Riversimple. They lease hydrogen fuelled cars for a fixed subscription fee and remain the sole owner of the vehicles. The customer doesn't need to worry about repairs or even paying any extra to fill up the tank - it's all covered for them in the initial cost.

We can see this model in other services as well, e.g. clothing rental, printers, phones, bikes & other means of transport. I'm excited to see this becoming more popular. Obviously the attainability of shared services varies based on where you live, but I assure you, you will find at least some of the services mentioned available close by.

So there we go - 5 pretty easy ways to be more sustainable in your everyday life. There's a bonus tip I would like to add: remember to always ask questions. Where is my food coming from? Who made my clothes? Making the final purchase decision eventually boils down to our priorities, but I hope you can find some time in the day to take sustainable habits on board.

Can you think of anything else to add on the list?

 

 

Anna x