Millennials are often branded as entitled and self-absorbed. However, it is this generation that raised awareness about environmental problems. They started the trends around sustainable living and eco-friendly tourism. They are not selfish. In fact, this environmentally-conscious generation wants the generations after them to enjoy nature as well.
Whether you are part of this generation or not, you can contribute to the movement of sustainable living. Through simple ways, you can help keep the world healthy for future generations to see. If you are unsure what to do, there are fun ways you can get started with sustainable living. You will be surprised that there are many ways you can easily incorporate sustainability into your everyday life.
Sustainable fashion
The fashion industry is one of the top contributors to pollution all over the world. In fact, it is the second biggest polluter next to the petroleum industry. And its effects on the environment are not the only controversy that surrounds it. Several big brands have been in headlines in the last decade because of the poor working conditions their workers are in. They earn from their overpriced clothes, while their workers receive meager pay and work in cramped sweatshops.
Fast fashion creates a need for people to continue buying new shoes and clothes. They keep manufacturing tons of products every day. Most discarded clothes end up in landfills.
If you love fashion but don’t want to share the guilt of contributing to environmental deterioration, here are the things you can do:
- Buy second-hand clothes. Once you get the hang of it, thrift shopping for clothes can be quite a fun adventure.
- Invest in quality pieces of clothes that you can use for a long time.
- Research which brands practice ethical production of their clothes. Then, support them.
- Repurpose old clothes. You can use them as rags, or you can donate them to recycling groups.
Sustainable food consumption
Tons of food waste is also a big problem. Not only does it pose a risk for the environment, but it is also an issue of food security. One of the fun ways you can practice sustainability around food is by making a garden where you can grow your own vegetables.
You can start with easy-to-grow plants like lettuce and tomatoes. After a few months, you will have a salad that you grew yourself.
You need to have a lot of patience because you will likely run into some problems when you start gardening. One is pest problems. Pests such as ants chew on leaves, which can ruin your garden. With this, do some research or call for professional help such as ant control services.
Gardening is also a time-demanding activity, so you need to carefully schedule your responsibilities. In the end, though, it will all be worth it. To practice sustainability with food, you can do the following:
- Say no to straws when you buy takeout beverages.
- Reuse your glass jars from kitchen supplies.
- Use food waste as fertilizer for your garden through composting.
- Use washable cloths instead of tissue and paper towels.
Sustainable beauty
You might not be familiar with the chemicals in your beauty products. Some ingredients in your sunscreen affect corals, and perfumes and hairspray contribute to air pollution. The microbeads in your favorite facial wash also pollute the sea. Research finds that the silicone in products like shampoo affects sea animals.
Some big beauty brands earned criticisms for continuously testing their products on animals. Not to mention the amount of plastic they use for their product packaging. These are just some problems associated with the beauty industry.
You can incorporate responsible beauty through the following actions:
- You can formulate your own facial cleanser. Raw honey mixed with warm water is excellent at cleaning your skin. You can make your scrub using oatmeal and other kitchen ingredients.
- Use cotton pads made of cloth. They are reusable and skin-friendly.
- Use loofah for scrubbing your body. Loofahs are made of dried sponge gourd. They are environment-friendly because they don’t contain microplastics as regular scrubs do.
- Use menstrual cups. Ditch your tampons and sanitary pads. Menstrual cups are more economical because one cup can last you up to ten years. You are also freer to move because there are fewer chances of leaks.
Sustainable living is a way of life that can take you a while to commit to. There will be challenges, primarily because not everyone around you practices what you do. But stay on your track. The next generations will appreciate and thank you for doing this.
