3 Ways to Introduce Sustainability Into Your Home

It’s a natural inclination to wonder how we can introduce sustainability practices into our homes as we become more mature. We think of our children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and even ourselves. It used to be easy to think that we wouldn’t have to be the generation to deal with the effects of our consumption, but that no longer seems to be the case. More and more, it is beginning to look like we are the generation that must take action. Environmental and climate changes are happening rapidly; fortunately, as soon as most of us become aware of the situation, we immediately ask: “What can I do to help?” 

The following tips might not help you save the world in one fell swoop, but they’re a good way to help you change how you think about the goods that you purchase for a more sustainable lifestyle. It is also uplifting and motivating to see companies like SeekBamboo, which we’ll mention in the dental care section, who are at the forefront of the Zero-Waste bathroom movement. Who would have thought that you can create such monumental change by buying a different toothbrush or even using a shampoo bar. The One Meal a Day for the Planet movement is also extremely inspirational. It’s like Mahatma Gandhi said: “In a gentle way you can shake the world.”

Change Your Toothpaste

Actually, it’s not just your toothpaste; it’s your whole bathroom! If you were to walk into your bathroom right now and look around, you’d realize that much of what you use every day is made of plastic, chemicals, and toxic materials. It’s not just you; it’s nearly everybody! Fortunately, companies like SeekBamboo are trying to help us realize that we can do better. They sell inexpensive, accessible, stylish products such as toothbrushes, tooth powder, hairbrushes, soap, shampoo, and dental lace as part of the Zero-Waste bathroom movement. They also sell eco-friendly household items like dish soap, bamboo cutlery, bamboo paper products, natural kitchen sponges, and laundry detergents. You’ll find no plastic in their products or packaging, and their website includes a blog about how to live a more sustainable lifestyle. 

Try to Use Less Packaging

If you think about packaging when you walk the aisles of your local supermarket, you’ll realize that almost everything we buy comes in multiple layers of the stuff, and a lot of that stuff is plastic. Then, we put our already-packaged purchases into additional packaging (a.k.a. grocery bags) to help carry it from the store to the car and from the car to our home. After that, it’s highly likely that we throw all that packaging into either the garbage bin or the recycling bin.

A way to combat all the extra packaging in the world is to actively seek out products that use as little packaging as possible. Also, look for products that use the most sustainable packaging possible. When you’re looking to buy something, either online or in the store, include the amount of packaging as part of your decision-making process. “Oh, I like this, but it comes in so much packaging!”

On top of general packaging, you should also try to reduce the amount of plastic bags that you take home. Did you know that the average American goes through six shopping bags per week? That’s millions of plastic bags that often end up in landfill sites. Instead of taking home a new bag every time you go shopping, get into a habit of bringing bags with you. Many stores now offer re-usable bags which you can keep reusing without them breaking – these are worth using.

Eat More Plants

One of the largest contributors to climate change is greenhouse gases from animal agriculture. A United Nations study showed that, while transportation exhaust is responsible for 13% of all greenhouse emissions, animal agriculture is responsible for 18%. Further studies have shown that livestock and their byproducts are responsible for at least 51% of all worldwide greenhouse gas emissions. 

What can you do to be more sustainable? Simply put, eat more plants. There are movements such as One Meal a Day for the Planet, by Suzy Amis Cameron, wife of Hollywood’s James Cameron, to help you show what an impact you can have by just replacing just one meal each day with plant-based food. “Through small shifts big change can happen,” the website for the organization states.

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