Gil Ofarim shows in a GALA interview that a sustainable life is very easy to implement. The trigger for him had to do with the encounter with a “great woman” who made him rethink.
When it comes to sustainability, Gil Ofarim, 39, has to think directly of meeting a woman whom he “found absolutely great”. A certain situation on a date then made the musician rethink.
Today he has a number of tips and tricks ready for a greener life and against wasting resources, which can be easily integrated into everyday life. And if the family man is not well behaved, his two children Leonard, 6, and Anouk, 4, speak up – because they are pretty “strict with me”, he admits.
Gil Ofarim: After going on a date with a great woman, he began to live more sustainably
GALA: Has there ever been a decisive reason for you to live more sustainably?
Gil Ofarim: Many years ago I had a date with a woman who I really loved. We were walking in the English Garden in Munich and she didn’t just flick her cigarette, which I always did back then. She squeezed them out on the floor and put them back in the packaging. I thought that was great and took an example from it. Then I stopped throwing rubbish out of the window.
You threw trash out the window ?!
That’s unimaginable today, I know! I did this stupid thing as a teenager.
But nobody can tell me that they may not have done this before or know someone. (laughs)
Have you thought differently about sustainability since you became a father?
As a father, I started to think about what kind of world I would leave my children and what do I want to set an example for them? A lot has changed for me. My son started school a few days ago. Much more is done in educational institutions today than it was then.
The children there are taught to be more aware of the environment. You will learn what happens when plastic ends up in the oceans. That’s great! My children will never carelessly toss the packaging on the floor when they eat a piece of candy. You are strict with me too! (laughs)
Sustainability is also important to Gil Ofarim’s two young children – so much so that they sometimes have to be strict with their dad.
© Ina Bohnsack
What do you and your children do to live more sustainably in everyday life?
- We sort bottles, we don’t throw everything in the residual waste, but sort out such as plastic and dispose of things at the recycling center.
- Unfortunately, I’ve been smoking e-cigarettes again for two years. The filters are also made of plastic, which I do not dispose of with normal household waste.
- We don’t throw away cardboard boxes, we use them as toys and make cars or submarines out of them.
- We freeze leftover food or eat it the next day.
They are small things, but if everyone does their part, we as a crowd can make a difference.
What happens to your old things like cell phones, furniture, clothes?
As long as my cell phone is working, I use it and don’t buy every new model. If I do get a new one, I’ll try to sell the old one. My friends get rejected clothes. I love giving gifts.
We brought toys that the kids no longer use to a shelter for refugees. This is how my children saw that owning toys is not something that can be taken for granted.
This thing totally annoys Gil Ofarim
What annoys you and would you like to change if you could?
No matter what you buy: it is wrapped in plastic with plastic. Even fruits and vegetables, which absolutely do not have to be. I would like people to try not to buy something like that anymore. Now I’m crazy: If everyone did that, would the industry stop production after a few weeks? Consumers have a lot of power, which one is often not even aware of.
In which area would you like to be more sustainable, but not yet due to a lack of alternatives?
Flying is a difficult subject. Sometimes, for work, I have to travel from Hamburg to Munich in a short time, for example. Of course, I could also cover the distance by train, but sometimes that’s just not possible and then I have to fly – but with a guilty conscience.
With “Lightcycle” you are campaigning against the waste of resources through incorrect disposal of lamps, for example. What tips do you have against wasting resources?
- Instead of buying every item of clothing or furniture new – especially from children -, check out second-hand shops or websites more often.
- Old clothes that you still like or broken children’s toys can be repaired.
- And don’t throw away good clothes that you’ve sorted out, but rather resell them at the flea market.
- In addition, one should order less online to avoid the amount of packaging waste.
What is the easiest way for others to start living greener and more sustainable lives?
Take a jute bag with you the next time you go shopping and do not buy a plastic or paper bag on site. Drink tap water instead of buying water or other sugary drinks. And use energy-saving lamps.
Gil Ofarim, together with “Lightcycle”, Germany’s leading take-back system for lighting, is committed to preventing the waste of resources through incorrect disposal of LED and energy-saving lamps. Under the Collection point search Consumers can find a collection point in their area.
Sources used: own interview, youtube.com