Living sustainably can be as simple as purchasing goods from local businesses or from companies that give back to the community. Think about what you can live without, or commit to using things up until you can’t use them anymore.
Have you heard of the staple-free stapler that sews your papers together? Or pig urine plates made from extracted urea? How about high-end shoes made of cork, raffia and tilapia fish skin? These are all sustainable products available for purchase now and they are not for the squeamish.
From celebrities to fortune 500 companies sustainability is a hot topic. To be sustainable means instead of depleting nature’s resources, we’re productive and proactive when it comes to the environment that surrounds us. Recently I read an article about Adidas shoes; they’re launching a shoe line made from ocean waste, using confiscated fish netting and plastics. Clearly sustainability and innovation can go hand in hand.
While all of these ideas are extremely clever, realistically what can you do to lower your carbon footprint? Getting back to basics seems to be the trend of recent — growing your own food, composting and disconnecting for a day (or two or three). I’ve thought about rain harvesting, but never acted on it and this year I’m kicking myself. (What a missed opportunity…) And, growing herbs in a container and drying or freezing them for later use is simple.
Maybe none of the above is up your alley. Still, living sustainably can be as simple as purchasing goods from local businesses or from companies that give back to the community. Think about what you can live without, or commit to using things up until you can’t use them anymore. That old T-shirt would make a great polishing cloth for your ride.
My hope is that we gravitate in the same direction and give Mother earth a break.
