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We need to adopt a sustainable life because all the habits we make from food to clothing have some impact on the planet. Some habits are good while other habits we make unknowingly have a worse impact.
For instance, suppose grabbing a cup of cold coffee on your way to work is a part of your morning routine. There's nothing wrong with that but the cup might be made up of plastic which is harmful to the planet. The straw might be plastic again, leading to a pile of plastics ending up in the trash.
To make our actions more eco-conscious you need to ask yourself "Is there a way to make it more sustainable?" To make your morning more sustainable you can try to have your coffee in a reusable cup.
Like this one example, you can work on your other habits too. Don't give up, be more sustainable. The world doesn't need one perfect environmentalist, it needs millions of imperfect ones.
Five Sustainable Life Habits
If you are looking for encouragement in the external world, here are five ideas to get you started.
1. Live Paper-based Lifestyle-
The Paper and Packaging Board came up with the amusing term "papertarian" to describe someone who leads a paper-based lifestyle. It involves choosing paper-based packaging and then correctly recycling the packaging material. Another important factor is that papertarians are aware of the benefits little decisions may have on the environment and our forests. It's crucial to keep in mind that the little things we do on a daily basis add up over time.
All Papertarian share a strong passion for trees and recycling. Did you know that one of the most recycled materials in the US is paper and cardboard? Paper cardboard can be repurposed up to seven times!
The United States recycled 91.4% of corrugated cardboard packaging and 68% of paper in 2021. The majority of corrugated boxes in the United States are constructed from 70% to 100% recycled material, and about 80% of paper and packaging mills use some recovered paper fibers in their products.
2. Conserve Water-
Did you know that only 1.2 percent of water is suitable for human consumption? The remaining portion is trapped beneath the earth's surface or in glaciers, ice caps, and permafrost. We must therefore make every effort to save water.
Here are some tips for conserving water:
Shower for fewer minutes. If you have trouble doing this, play one or two of your favorite songs, but make sure to leave as soon as they are finished.
While you wait for the water to warm up, put a bucket in the shower to catch the water. Use it to irrigate your garden or indoor plants or in household chores.
Whenever you brush your teeth, turn off the faucet. Restart it just when you're about to rinse.
Save pasta water by setting a dish underneath the colander to collect it. Before using it to water your plants or to cook again (it's good to be used as a thickener), let it cool.
3. Reading an Environmental Book-
An excellent way to learn about the climate crisis is to read about it on paper. Additionally, it aids in vocabulary growth, memory enhancement, and perspective opening.
We can learn from environmental books about the steps we can take to slow down climate change. They can also be of great assistance in deconstructing the frequently intricate issues we encounter with the climate crisis.
Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer, who reflects on her life as an Indigenous woman and scientist, is one of the most influential environmental novels you must read.
Her main point is that in order for ecological consciousness to emerge, our reciprocal relationship with all other living things must be acknowledged and celebrated.
4. Upcycling Items-
Establish the practice of using your items before merely discarding or recycling them. In addition to reducing trash, this will give your possessions a second life.
For instance, you can get creative and upcycle paper before throwing it in your recycling bin even though it is recyclable. I adore preserving cardboard boxes to store small items or to use as gifts.
To wrap Christmas presents, you can conserve all the brown paper you receive from shipments throughout the year. You can also use rubber stamps and ink  to make incredibly adorable homemade wrapping paper.
5. Making most products from scratch-
Cooking from scratch is a fantastic way to utilize what you already have and develop a relationship with your food if only you have the time to do this. It's all about doing things slowly and valuing how straightforward homemade goods are.
Here are some tips on materials you can make from scratch:
Brown Sugar (by combining sugar and molasses)
Vegetable Stock (grow your own stock in your garden)
Powdered Sugar (by blending sugar)
Jams (by melting fruits in the pan)
Peanut Butter (blending roasted peanuts)
Vanilla Extract
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