Simple tips to live a bit greener

In this blog entry, we’d like to say a few words about living sustainably. Sustainable living means that one attempts to reduce their use of Earth’s natural resources. Because frankly, our planet is worn out from our constant consumption. We should all be mindful of our carbon footprint but more importantly, we should respect our planet and its other residents. Why? Because everything we use either ends up in toxic landfills or find its way to the ocean endangering not only marine life but our health as well.

Living sustainably doesn’t mean saying no to everything we treasure, but it does mean that we are being aware of the resource consumption and committed to reducing unnecessary waste. That is why we’ve decided to create a little guide to live greener.

Reduce household energy use.

 

·  One of the easiest ways to conserve energy is to simply turn off lights and appliances when you’re not using them.

·   Use LED lighting or CFL bulbs as they last longer. Be especially mindful of electricity during Christmas and New Year.

·   Use as much natural light as possible before switching light bulbs.

·   Instead of using a dryer, hang the clothes to air dry. This will also help preserve the quality of clothes more.

·   Drink from the tap instead of buying bottled water.

·   Limit water usage when brushing your teeth.

  

Eat locally and seasonally

                               

 

·   One of the most powerful ways to live sustainably is to eat locally. Visit local markets and support local farmers instead of buying fruits and vegetables from all over the world that consume huge amounts of fossil fuel energy just to get in the supermarkets you shop at. More importantly, buy seasonal vegetables and fruits that aren’t grown in greenhouses since it would still use up huge chunks of energy.

·   Purchase fair-trade products. When buying coffee, sugar, tea, fruit or chocolate look for the fair-trade certification that tells you that the products were grown using sustainable methods of agriculture with local people being employed and paid fair salary.

·   Buy organic food that don’t use lots of pesticides and artificial fertilizers.

·  Choose wonky food, they are as healthy and good as good-looking ones as wonky food is statistically unlikely to get bought and end up being discarded.

·   Buy in bulk.

· If it’s possible, limit your meat consumption. Meat production is one the most environmentally destructive industries on the planet. It uses massive amounts of water and is responsible for pollution, greenhouse gas emissions and habitat destruction.

Consider life expectancy of the products

·   Nowadays, it’s very easy to buy single-use cups, bags, food storage containers that you can throw away after using it once or twice. Everything is made of plastic these days. So when you make a purchase, consider the item’s life expectancy and choose something more durable and sustainable.

·   Buy glass containers instead of plastic ones.

·   Choose wooden combs over plastic hair brushes,

·   Use steel straws instead of plastic ones.

·   Buy bamboo toothbrushes instead of plastic toothbrushes that aren’t recyclable.

·  Use reusable bottles instead of plastic bottles and reusable cups instead of paper or plastic cups when buying coffee. Many shops even offer discounts for people who come with their own reusable cups.

“Reduce, Reuse, Recycle”

            

          

Every product we purchase has an environmental footprint from the materials used to create it to the pollution emitted during manufacturing to the packaging that ends up in landfills. That is why we should reduce the amount of things we buy and invest in products with a longer life span. When buying, consider buying used instead of new and look for minimal packaging.

·   Recycle as much as possible. For those living in Tallinn, here are two guides to sorting waste:

https://www.tallinn.ee/eng/A-Guide-to-Sorting-Waste

https://kuhuviia.ee/en

·   Resell and donate items.

·   Extend life expectancy of items that you no longer use. Resell them at apps like Depop or donate them at thrift shops or charity organizations.

·   Stop supporting fast fashion. Invest in sustainable shops or buy secondhand.

·   Invest in tote bags and Cloth food bags instead of buying plastic bags every time you shop.

·   Choose paper bags instead of plastic bags

·   Refuse paper receipts.

Sustainable commuting

·   Use public transport.

·   Walk or ride a bike instead of using a car.

·   Take stairs instead of an elevator. This also doubles as an excercise.

            Sustainable gifting

·   Save gift bags and boxes for the future.

·    Opt for paper gift wrappers or tote bags as foil or glitter-decorated paper are not recyclable.

Be active in your community and in your country’s political life

                    

·    Join zero waste community online, follow Instagram accounts such as  zero waste collective and easy eco tips for a daily inspiration.

·   Seek out clean-up events in your city and meet like-minded people.

·   Follow your country’s politics about climate change and vote for politicians actively taking action to protect the environment.

And finally, it’s important to realize that not all of us have access to things listed here. And that’s completely all right. Sustainable living and participation in zero waste movement are real challenges that could last a life-time. It’s simply a journey where you’ll have slip-ups and make mistakes. Do things that you can do and do not be hard on yourself, but understand that climate change is a very real danger and each one of us can make a difference buy choosing to live more sustainably.

                                                                                                                Mariam Meparishvili