Sustainable Lifestyle: How To Get Started?

Plastic has become an indispensable part of our everyday life. A deliberate choice made by humans in the 1950s, plastic gained popularity over the years due to its high technical durability and affordability. Today, if you take a stroll down the street, it’s not hard to find plastic trash around you. The sad fact is that even as this article is written, substantial quantities of plastic are being produced and released into the environment in various forms. 

Something that initially started as a boon has become the exact opposite, for the very same reason that it once was produced for. As we stand and watch, more and more plastic waste is taking up larger spaces in the environment around us, and you may feel there is nothing much to do about it. However, that is not the case and this article will tell you how!

Sustainability: The Solution 

Yes, we all have heard about sustainability because it’s all over the Internet. Experts say it is the need of the hour and that is again a fact that we all are aware of, but what most of us are not educated on, or are clueless about is where to start with. You can find a lot of information on the Internet about practicing a sustainable lifestyle. But how do we implement it and make it a part of our daily routine(or be consistent with it)?

This could be the most challenging aspect because chances are higher that most of us may have tried to get it right all at once and have failed miserably.

Yes, it has become imperative to begin practicing a lifestyle that aligns with the principle of sustainability. However, to start with, what we need is an understanding that you cannot undo the outcome of 50-plus years in a day, or even in five years. It takes as much time or more to start seeing any change at all. Hence, do not be too hard on yourself or anyone around you. 

Secondly, we all need to realize that it is those smaller habits that become the catalyst for the bigger change. Humans have become so dependent on plastic products that their entire lives are entwined in them and you cannot put a full stop right away! However, this realization will bring in the much-needed effort and consistency to keep you motivated towards the greater good, and once you are there, here are a few suggestions to help you get started with your transition into a sustainable lifestyle.

Alternatives For Common Plastic Trash

Carry your own water bottle

This might be the most common advice you have got! But as silly as it may sound, carrying a reusable water bottle makes a huge difference by reducing the popular single-use plastic bottles.

DITCH that plastic shopping bag

Even if you think you are going to reuse those plastic bags, you may actually never do it. So be it your regular grocery stock-up or your fashion upgrade, make sure you’re carrying a bag of your own. 

Replace your regular shampoos and soaps

Soaps and shampoos come in plastic containers, packets, or boxes which are again an add-on to the trash. You can put an end to this by opting to make them at home, which is easier than you think!

Check this out to get started – https://www.treehugger.com/shampoo-bar-recipes-5194306

Choose sustainable period products

Regular sanitary pads contain plastic, and most of these end up in landfills after disposal. These can be replaced with eco-friendly alternatives like menstrual cups or cloth pads, which will not only be a step towards a sustainable lifestyle but will also help save money and reduce health issues caused by single-use sanitary pads.

Say NO to takeaway boxes

Some of us love having our favorite food in the comforts of home, while others prefer takeaways for their own specific reasons. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this practice except for the additional plastic boxes that may find a home in your house. So next time you are planning to opt for a takeaway, take a lunchbox with you.

Change your Bathing/washing scrubs.

Plasti loofahs are a significant part of our lives as they are a part of our hygiene. However, there are other natural products that you would want to try, this includes ‘Inja’, an herbal scrub extracted from the bark of Acacia Caesia, and they’re excellent for your skin. Coconut husk can also be considered a natural scrub pad, but you may have to dip it in water for a few days to make it soft. Moreover, coconut husks can also be used as kitchen scrubbers too!

As simple as they may seem, these effective lifestyle changes will mark the beginning of the bigger change in the long run and will help you define your way towards sustainable living. And even before you know it, they would already have become a part of your everyday life! So what are you waiting for?