Living a more sustainable and eco-friendly lifestyle

In today’s age, more people are searching for ways on how to live sustainably. You may also be wondering, WHY should I live sustainably? Every year, approximately 300 million tons of plastic is produced:

500 million plastic straws are used EVERY DAY in America;
100 billion plastic bags are used EVERY YEAR in America;
1 million plastic bottles are purchased EVERY MINUTE worldwide;
8 million metric tons of plastic pollute the oceans EVERY YEAR.

Collectively, that’s about 8.3 billion metric tons of plastic that has been produced since being manufactured in the 1950s. Not surprisingly, atmospheric carbon dioxide levels have increased dramatically during this time. Given these statistics, plastic pollution will have outweighed the total weight of fish, pound for fish by 2050.

There are many reasons to live a more sustainable and eco-friendly lifestyle but if you need convincing, keep reading below.

Saving money

We all want extra money back in our pockets and thankfully enough, sustainability goes hand in hand to reward you with a little cash back. If you follow the 5 R’s of sustainability – Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Repurpose and Recycle, you will be saving money on items that have multiple uses like reusable grocery bags or a renewable life cycle like generating electricity through solar power.

Enjoy a cleaner space and live a healthier life

Litter, carbon emissions and burning through fossil fuels all contribute to pollution in the air you breathe, the water you swim in, the space you live in and eventually makes its way into the food you consume. Enjoy a breath of fresh air, when the air is less polluted by particulate matter. Swim in a clean sea, where the water isn’t littered with used plastic bottles and plastic bags. Take a walk in the park, without trudging through used takeaway containers and wrappers. Eat farm-fresh food and fish from the ocean, without worrying about ingesting microplastic.

Eating organic is a great choice for your body by consuming foods that aren’t exposed to pesticides or other harmful chemicals. A major benefit is eating cleaner which has a positive impact on your health. So, is eating organic actually healthier for you? An experiment conducted by the agency Forsman & Bodenfors for the Swedish grocery chain Coop, tells us that yes eating organic foods is both better for our bodies and helps to support the industry in organic agricultural farming. The experiment compares the levels of chemical pesticides, fungicides and plant growth regulators from a Swedish family before and after only eating organic meals for two weeks. The family of five typically consumed conventional food as opposed to eating organic and stated that the deciding factor for this was that organic foods did cost more for their big family. By the end of the experiment, it was found that the following chemicals: Chloremequate chloride, Mepiquat, 3-PBA and TCP had almost disappeared from their bodies after only eating organic foods for two weeks. The film was a success in raising awareness in communities globally with a total reach of 1.8 billion by 2016. The Organic Effect was presented by Coop with a goal in mind to support organic farming and accessibility to organic foods whilst encouraging more sustainable farming practices.

When we talk about the use of pesticides in conventional agricultural farming, we think about the harmful effects on the environment but the truth is that we don’t know about the long term effects of consuming foods treated with pesticides. After viewing this experiment, it is evident that pesticides do leave an unwanted trace in our bodies and provides an insight into one of the reasons why you should go organic. On the other hand, one common question consumers do find themselves wondering is: is organic food worth the cost? As cost efficient as conventional farming is, the conscious choice for organic farming does open opportunities for adopting sustainable farming alternatives leading towards the movement of supply and demand for greener approaches to products and services. As creatures of habit, whilst all the research in the world can tell us about pesticide levels in our bodies, we have to agree that there is more impact in demonstration. Thanks to films like The Organic Effect, That Sugar Film, Supersize Me and more recently 2040, we’re able to envision the possibilities and negative impacts of our choices.

You are what you eat

You might have heard about going eco-friendly or going sustainable but what does it mean to go “natural”? It is difficult to clearly define “natural beauty products” but one way to think about it is, using products that contain fewer synthetic ingredients. A woman absorbs approximately 5 pounds of cosmetics and consumes almost 7 pounds of lipstick in her lifetime. Using natural eco-friendly cosmetic or personal products on a daily basis can help to minimise the level of exposure to unwanted chemicals that may have a harmful effect on your body in the long term. Going green with beauty products includes choosing items that contain ingredients that are sourced naturally or organically.

Help create a future where products are responsibly sourced and renewable

As of September 2019, there are currently 7.7 billion people on the planet and numbers are still rising with a population growth of 1.2% annually. In an ideal world, just like inflation, the Earth’s resources would increase too to provide enough for all life on the planet. In reality, this just isn’t the case and with the dense population of human beings only increasing, you don’t need to be a mathematician to calculate that there just aren’t enough resources for everyone – so what are our options? The answer lies in two parts: reduce waste through multiuse items and choosing items made from renewable resources.

The idea of recycling isn’t suitable for everyone nor is it applicable for every product and if someone chooses not to recycle it, it soon quickly becomes another piece of rubbish. Eco-friendly products that encourage multiple uses can help to limit waste and the amount of plastic in landfill. This includes reusable items like grocery bags, fresh produce bags, water bottles, straws, food wraps, coffee cups and even ear swabs! Compostable items, especially single use items, are also another great way to reduce waste to landfill by redirecting it straight to commercial composting facilities or household compost bins designed for domestic disposal.

With there being more eco-friendly options accessible to households, you may also be confused with “marketing” terms like environmentally friendly, biodegradable, degradable, all natural, bioplastic, biobased and compostable, which are often used interchangeably. A biodegradable product simply means that it will naturally break down into its base material components but may still contain traces of harmful substances like toxins or heavy metal contaminants. Products that are entirely compostable contain materials or substances that will break down further into non-toxic products that can be used to support plant life. If the option is available, always choose products that are 100% compostable! But make sure compostables are sent away for composting as compostable items sent to landfill can also impact the environment.

Compostable products are made out of ingredients like corn starch, corn, sugarcane, paper pulp, potato starch, silvergrass, wood fibre-based paper, coconut fibre, wheat, soy, bamboo, polylactic acid (PLA), palm leaves, cellulose and glucose. Unfortunately, the popular terms “compostable” and “biodegradable” are often misused, sometimes to deliberately confuse and market items to environmentally conscious customers. Something to remember – a biodegradable product is not necessarily compostable however a compostable product is always biodegradable.

Make sure you remove all plastic or read manufacturer’s directions before composting a product. Some products contain pieces that are made from both recyclable and compostable materials such as bamboo toothbrushes using bristles made from nylon. Simply remove the nylon bristles with pliers, from the toothbrush head, and place the handle into a compost bin. Beware of claims on the front of product packaging such as “plant derived” or “plant based”, this refers to the product usually being made with ethanol sourced from sugar cane (a sustainable resource) however these products still contain plastic and cannot be placed in composting units and end up in landfill.

Similarly, degradable products are broken down when exposed to elements in the environment but still contain plastic and cannot be composted. Degradable products are a step in the right direction to reduce soft plastics posing a suffocation hazard to wildlife but there is still more to do to prevent degradable plastics entering the environment as microplastics in our waterways, soil, oceans and marine life that inevitably ingest it. The best yet is still choosing to reduce your waste anyway possible and ultimately limiting waste towards recycling, landfill and the environment.

Not all things are created equal! Now that you’ve chosen products made from renewable materials, you can go that one step further and choose a product made from materials that are renewable and responsibly sourced. But what are responsibly sourced materials and how do you know if a product is made from responsibly sourced materials? Some materials like bamboo and wood come from plantations that are certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) which you might commonly see as “FSC” on some packaging. FSC is an organisation that is a part of ISEAL Alliance, that forms the global association for sustainability standards. FSC uses a consistent forest certification system that follow the principals of sustainable development to support forest products that are sourced in an environmentally friendly and socially responsible manner. A well-managed FSC approved plantation means that the balance between harvesting and replanting is achieved to allow replanted trees to regenerate at a natural and sustainable rate.

Choosing how your products are made is as easy as choosing what products to use. By choosing to buy products that are made from materials which are responsibly sourced and renewable, you are helping to support sustainable agricultural practices. This process is just a small step towards reducing plastics, toxic waste and harmful pollutants in the environment whilst approaching the solution to limited resources.

Help to provide a cleaner environment for wildlife

It is all too tragic and unfortunately an all too common occurrence when animals become trapped in plastic waste. Early last year, a young whale found in the Philippines died with 88 pounds of plastic found in its stomach. Experts say that that the animal most likely died of slow starvation from not being able to digest food whilst the plastic was inside. With no food, the whale was literally being eaten inside out as its stomach acid, unable to break down the plastic waste, had started to eat through its stomach lining.

As individuals, we have the power to reduce consumer demand for many products that are not only toxic but prove to be fatal to wildlife. How can you provide a cleaner environment for wildlife? Support the use of products that produce non-toxic waste that enter our water ways, look out for active ingredients in natural cleaning products that contain biodegradable ingredients like lactic acid, plant derived ethanol and citric acid or even make your own products using DIY recipes with natural products like vinegar, bicarbonate soda, borax, tea tree oil, eucalyptus oil and orange oil.

Getting started is simple

Get started by just being environmentally conscious and the rest will follow. It really is as easy as choosing the eco-friendly alternative that is available. Starting out small is starting somewhere, so how would you start an eco-friendly and sustainable lifestyle?

Swap out your takeaway coffee cups for a reusable coffee cup, or even better, choose one made of bamboo that can be composted;
bring reusable mesh bags for fresh produce at the supermarket;
buy in bulk to reduce individual packaging or use BYO storage containers at speciality bulk food stores for no waste trading;
start household composting and choose compostable product alternatives such as bin bags, takeaway containers and multipurpose wipes; and
use DIY recipes for everyday household items like cleaning products, cosmetics, skincare etc.

Getting involved locally

Many groups in the local area run eco workshops to encourage a proactive approach to an eco-lifestyle such as: learning how to preserve fresh produce; how to start household composting; reducing plastic in everyday living; DIY creative skincare products; how to start a worm farm; optimising energy with solar house designing; beeswax wraps workshop; creating a veggie patch from scratch; creating a no waste program; low cost gardening and so much more. Take this as an opportunity to get actively involved with likeminded people working together on community projects. This can include promoting awareness on environmental topics, supporting a conceptual idea and dedication to making a change, all whilst working towards benefiting your community. Here are some inspiring environmental innovations from local individuals and businesses:
Soft plastic recycling: community collection point of soft plastic bags and packaging at local supermarkets including bread bags, cereal bags and liners, shopping bags, fresh produce bags and wrappers, biscuit wrappers and confectionary packaging, rice and pasta packets and frozen food bags are sent for recycling.
Food waste initiative: food waste from local supermarkets is being reduced and diverted away from landfill. Unsold food including fresh produce, meat, dairy and bakery items are donated to local communities and charitable organisations. Some organic waste that is inedible is sent for composting to local commercial plants where it is converted to clean energy and certified compost. To reduce food losses, foods that do not meet quality standards but are still edible, are repurposed for other food products such as bananas for frozen banana pieces, banana bread and muffins. Vegetables are used for: frozen products, cauliflower and broccoli rice alternatives, zucchini noodles, sweet potato noodles and sweet potato chips.
Plastics clean-up initiative: Instagram influencer and cast member of Netflix original series Singapore Social, Paul Foster, has started his own clean up initiative of plastic waste in local waterways and coastal waters. The initiative targets “plastic hotspots” that have been identified around the region, starting with Ciliwung River in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Cleaning polluted lakes: one man is dedicated to cleaning polluted lakes, one lake at a time! Time and research have led Marino to a solution to remove contaminants from dirty lake water by adding a unique substance. The substance works to attract contaminated particles and floats them to the surface which can then be removed to reveal clean water beneath. The substance is made from 100% organic material and is environmentally friendly. The water is then treated further with bio filters, nanotechnology and natural biology to produce a clean habitat for wildlife, free of pollution.

What governments are doing to support their country and environment:

Iceland: 24.5% of Iceland’s energy comes from geothermal energy sources where power plants use the heat from volcanic water. At least 99% of houses are now heated with renewable energy.

Singapore: waste is burnt and the ashes collected to create a separate man-made island off of Singapore called Semakau Landfill which started operating in 1999. The trash island is so clean that it still retains the growth and beauty of a natural environment with green vegetation, beaches, diverse flora and thriving marine life.
Sweden: half of the energy for electricity in this country is sourced from renewables. Recycling plants also convert rubbish into energy by burning waste, with half of all household waste being converted to energy used to heat homes. So much rubbish has been recycled in Sweden that it has to now import waste from other countries to keep its recycling plants going and as a result, less than 1% of Swedish rubbish has been sent to landfill since 2011.
Japan: over 1000 incineration plants burn rubbish collected from major cities to reduce waste and generate electricity. Some rubbish is recycled and used in cement which is then used in streets and paths. Heated water generated from some of the incineration plants is also used to warm nearby pools and tropical plant greenhouses. Incineration plants can generate enough electricity to both power itself and still produce excess electricity which is sold back to the grid providing an income of approximately USD78.6 million annually.
France: under mandatory legislation to limit food waste, large grocery stores are banned from disposing edible foods and instead must donate to charities and other non-governmental organisations. This includes fresh produce, dairy and bakery goods. This has also improved food waste management for stores by reducing the waste load capacity and workload of staff usually required for additional bin removal off site. As a result, donations to food banks have increased more than 20 percent since legislation had passed in 2016. Some foods are used to prepare meals, equating to approximately 226 million meals a year, whilst other foods are distributed directly to those in need. This act has also raised consumer awareness and encouraged start up initiatives like the app “Too Good to Go” where consumers are able to locate local businesses that sell end of day produce at a reduced price.

Now that you’re convinced, learn more about how to live an eco-friendly lifestyle. It can all seem a little overwhelming at first but making the concerted effort to think with the mindset of an eco-conscious consumer can be the first step to reducing your environmental impact.