One of the reasons I began this blog was to challenge myself.
Everyone has a different version of what a sustainable lifestyle is and this blog is inspired to facilitate these ideas. I wanted to share with you my tips, successes, and challenges; and also gain ideas from others.
To me, living sustainable means living in a way that keeps me youthful mentally and physically and living in a way that contributes to the health of our planet. So how does one go about living in such a way? Where do you start?
The best approach to living sustainably for me, has been to engage in living a minimal-waste lifestyle. In this area, I’m not a model of perfection. I hope to someday live a zero-waste lifestyle, but working towards this goal is a process.
In summary, a minimal-waste lifestyle means finding contentment and health by clearing clutter and “things” out of my life, as well as thinking about each thing I purchase, consume, and use in my home, workplace, and everyday life. I do this by rethinking the necessities in my life. What really matters and what doesn’t? What do I think I need, but can actually live without?
Back when I started this, I made a list of each area in my life and came up with ideas on ways in which I could change the way I was living to live more sustainably. I started the list with each room in my household.
A sample of my list looks like this:
Bathroom
Even shorter showers
Continue to make the majority of my own, waste-free products: Shave Cream, Body Wash, Makeup, etc.
Re-using (product) containers
Buying wooden toothbrushes
Using plants wherever else possible
Buying recycled TP and use sparingly
Eliminate: -Cotton balls -Qtips -hand towels?
Already Eliminated: Unnecessary personal care products (like kleenex, face wipes, etc), excess bathroom supplies (like towels).
Lifestyle
Continue using cloth/hemp reusable grocery bags
Refusing plastic bags at stores, straws at restaurants, take out containers, etc.
Supporting local businesses: buy local first, state, USA.
Buying Fair Trade when possible.
Donating to charity
Volunteering
Drive even less & consolidate trips: walk/bike/exercise more. Go from a two-car family to a one car family by 2014.
Keep reading for tips, recipes, and ideas on how you can transition to a minimal-waste lifestyle.
