Live environmentally conscious
Sustainable everyday life without sacrifice
Have you ever looked where there are unpackaged shops in your area?
© Natalia Deriabina / Shutterstock
Living green every day is easier than most of us realize. We show you simple ways, such as when shopping, setting up and recycling, to conserve resources and live sustainably.
In principle, there are only small everyday habits that you can change and you not only reduce your personal Co2 footprint, but also do something against your guilty conscience of not being able to do anything. Living environmentally conscious is not difficult! To prove this to you, we have collected a selection of ideas on how you can effortlessly make your everyday life more conscious.
1. Shopping:
… with the jute bag
Neither plastic nor paper bags are ideal for sustainable shopping. We recommend bringing your own cloth bag or shopping basket. And if it does happen and you have to buy a bag, it’s not that bad. The fewer bags bought, the better. And then you can use it a few more times.
Solid instead of liquid
The good bar of soap is celebrating its comeback! Whether for the hair, the body or the hands – packed in cardboard is even better than in plastic and therefore a super sustainable alternative to liquid soap, liquid shampoo and shower gel.
Outside fie, inside hui
Of course, doing without packaging completely is even better! Have you ever inquired about where there are zero-waste shops in your area? There are a lot more packaging-free grocery stores than you think. Business is booming, especially in big cities. No wonder, more and more people are getting the taste for having the containers they have brought with them filled up and thus reducing packaging waste. And let’s be honest: It doesn’t have to be the entire week’s shopping, small steps are enough.
Double economy
As the British “Huffington Post” writes, a 2015 study showed that a woman spends an average of around 20,000 euros on period articles in her lifetime. Tampons and pads are expensive, but fortunately there are menstrual cups, so-called “mens cups” thanks to which we can save not only money but also a lot of waste. Just give it a try, ladies!
2. Recycle
Recycling and upcycling means reducing waste, disposing of it responsibly and reusing products that most of us would probably throw away. Question what you dispose of: is the respective part still usable or could it serve another purpose? Ask yourself how you dispose of it. For example, many fashion and cosmetics companies take back plastic packaging and not only make it easy for shoppers, but even reward them with cheap refill prices. In general, when it comes to sustainable shopping, it is important to focus on quality and make conscious purchases over many years.
Make-up removal a different way…
A lot of waste can also be saved with reusable make-up removal pads made of cotton or cotton swabs made of silicone. Unusual at first, but we use our toothbrush several times. If you don’t like that, you should dispose of conventional cotton pads properly. Because: Cotton wool is disposed of in the residual waste and can therefore not be recycled!
3. Nourish:
Less is more
For many, the salami slice ends up on bread in the morning, turkey breast in a salad at lunchtime and beef on the burger in the evening. For the sake of the environment, how about only eating meat once or twice a week instead of several times a day? This does not mean that we have to live vegan overnight! Nevertheless, it does not hurt to know that the production of meat requires up to 28 times more space than the production of grain. In addition, the production of one kilogram of meat is just as harmful to the environment as a car journey of 250 kilometers, because animal husbandry and the provision of animal feed produce large quantities of air pollutants.
leftovers cooking
Ever heard of the no-waste kitchen? That’s how much food ends up in the trash every year. You can use valuable resources sparingly by avoiding spontaneous shopping and only ending up in the shopping cart what you really want to use up. If this is difficult for you, we recommend planning a creative cooking day once a week. Here leftovers are looked for in their own kitchen and spontaneously considered what kind of dish can be conjured up from the leftover ingredients.
4. Setup:
Environmentally conscious living, in everyday life and in your own four walls? No problem! Whether furniture, decoration, lighting, wall paints or plants – we can also easily minimize our own ecological footprint with sustainable furnishings. Firstly, don’t go for every living trend. The fashion and interiors industries are fast-moving. Means that not every flower vase that is hyped right now has to be bought. Find your own taste, then you will have something of the facility for a long time. Second: Buy second-hand furniture. Thirdly, pay attention to the quality, the materials and avoid furniture made of tropical wood.
Sources used: Umweltberatung.at, utopia.de