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Guest Blogger Dianne Lammers wrote an article for us with 12 tips for a sustainable lifestyle.
‘Sustainability’; a word you probably come across a lot nowadays. It also entails a lot, and it can be applied to different sectors like economic, ecologic, education, nutrition. These are all broad subjects when it comes to a sustainable lifestyle, and it can feel overwhelming sometimes. Luckily it is possible to contribute to a sustainable lifestyle with small and easy steps, all doable in your daily life. I have listed 12 tips for a sustainable lifestyle below, in three different categories.
Let’s look at your kitchen to get that sustainable lifestyle!
1) Doing your dishes
To save plastic bottle waste, there’s a quick tip to improve your sustainable lifestyle. Instead of using soap in a plastic dispenser, you can also use a soap bar to wash your hands. I also use a bar of dishwashing soap to do my dishes, and this works great! These sorts of dishwashing soaps are often vegan and made with natural ingredients. In addition, I use it for cleaning my make-up brushes! To improve your sustainable lifestyle even more, for doing the dishes you can use a wooden brush (often you only have to replace the end of it but not the steel) or coconut scourers.
2) Keep your food fresh with (vegan) beeswax wraps
Cover your leftovers with a beeswax wrap instead of plastic foil (we have these listed here). These wraps keep the food fresh, and you don’t produce plastic waste. Small effort, but a big impact when it comes to a sustainable lifestyle! These beeswax wraps are also available in vegan options.
3) Take some reusable (cotton) bags and vegetable bags with you on grocery shopping
When doing grocery shopping take a reusable (cotton) bag with you to put in your vegetables and fruits. You can also use these bags for bread. This tip might seem self-explanatory, but it is one of the most effective ones when it comes to creating a sustainable lifestyle.
4) Enjoy your drinks with bamboo or metal straws
Last but not least in the kitchen series of getting that sustainable lifestyle: A very easy and very simple tip! Skip the plastic straws and just make a one-time purchase of bamboo or metal straws for those yummy juices and cocktails you make at home (we have these listed here).
Sustainable lifestyle in your bathroom routine
5) Bamboo toothbrush
This is also an easy step, but with massive impact when it comes to a sustainable lifestyle. You probably have seen this quote sometimes: “It is only 1 toothbrush, said 18 billion people”. And this is true, so changing to a bamboo toothbrush contributes to reducing plastic waste. And therefore, to increase a sustainable lifestyle! Your old bamboo toothbrush can be reused, for example for cleaning your bathroom or in your garden as a plant holder or marker.
6) Go for non-plastic
Not only does a bamboo toothbrush create a positive impact, but also look at other products you use. Your hairbrush, for example, is it made of plastic? Or are you still using single-use plastic cotton buds? It is very easy to switch to paper or bamboo ones. For the Dutchies, Etos sells these as well so they are easy to get. As you can see in the picture my toothbrush travel case is also from bamboo. Or what about your toothbrush holder? Just have a look around and see if you can replace some plastic items with non-plastic ones. Honestly, living a sustainable lifestyle isn’t that difficult! I would advise you to not throw away good products. When products need replacement, then replace them with non-plastic, more sustainable options. I bought this wooden hairbrush for example when my old plastic one was really in need of replacement. And I used all the plastic cotton buds I had left, so they still were useful, and then bought paper/bamboo cotton buds. Not throwing usable products away also adds up to living a sustainable lifestyle.
7) Go bars!
Shampoo bars are very easy to use and save so much plastic waste. One shampoo bar replaces 3 to 4 ‘normal’ shampoo bottles. Yes, read this again. So, these will save you money and waste! It is also very easy to take with you on travels, as they are compact and don’t contain fluids. As you can see, living a sustainable lifestyle also increases having a comfortable lifestyle.
8) Soft and shaven legs with a safety razor
I have switched from plastic razor blades to using a safety razor for over more than a year now (we have these listed here). The reason for this was to save waste in my shaving routine. By using the safety razor, the only waste you produce is a little metal blade and these blades can be recycled. It takes some time to get used to the safety razor, so I recommend watching a video on YouTube about it. That way you know how to use it properly and how to replace the blades. It is a little investment in getting the safety razor at first, but after that, the metal blades only cost a few euros per 5 blades. My safety razor came in a handy little bag and I ordered it from Etsy. Some might think that a sustainable lifestyle is more expensive, but at the end of the day, I can assure you that’s not the case at all!
9) Introducing to you: the OrganiCup (this one is for the ladies)
The OrganiCup is one of the changes I made that I am most happy about. Why? OrganiCup is a menstruation cup and although it might look difficult to use, it is actually really easy. It comes with very clear and user-friendly step-by-step instructions. One cup can be used for two years and that is equal to 528 menstruation products. Imagine all the waste you can save! And you will save money as well. Living a sustainable lifestyle sounds quite good right?! You can use the cup for up to 12 hours and sport, swim, and sleep with it. Another plus is that you don’t have to worry about infections.
10) Go cruelty-free and vegan
Go for cruelty-free brands. Cruelty-free means that the ingredients a brand is using, and their end products are not tested on animals. Brands that are 100% cruelty-free are recognizable by the logo of The Leaping Bunny. Animal Rights organization PETA also has a logo of a bunny with ears shaped like a heart. This also means a brand is cruelty-free. When living a sustainable lifestyle, I would say looking into these products is highly recommendable. A product that is also vegan means that it doesn’t contain animal ingredients, like beeswax, honey, carmine, and collagen. These products have the logo of a sunflower.
A sustainable lifestyle on the go
11) Go for a reusable water bottle and coffee mug
If you haven’t one already, get a reusable water bottle. This might feel like a bigger investment at first, but truly one of the greater ones to work towards living a sustainable lifestyle. There are many choices like Chilly’s, Dopper’s, or LifeStraw. So, start taking one with you and start saving money on all those plastic water or soda bottles. All these things will make you live a more sustainable lifestyle. When you are going to your favorite coffee place for a take-away coffee, take a reusable coffee mug with you and ask the barista if she or he wants to put your coffee in the mug instead of a single-use cup. I already see people doing this more and more, so join this movement with us!
12) Take that home-made lunch with you in a lunchbox
Skip the plastic sandwich bags and take a lunchbox with you. A lunch box has many benefits; it will not crush your lunch and keeps it fresh. Yet again a great benefit from living a sustainable lifestyle! Nowadays there are also lunchboxes in which you can even carry soup with you, so you can make all sorts of lunches at home to take with you.
Some final thoughts: remember that you don’t have to change everything at the same time to live a more sustainable lifestyle. Just choose what appeals to you first and what works for you. By starting small, you are already making a difference! Along the way, you will discover more and more. You can inspire your friends and family with the new things you have learned and bought. When you are doing some shopping for sustainable goodies, make sure to check out the webshops offered on The Green Stamp website. On Etsy and Bol.com you can find many of the items mentioned here in this blog. And the greatest benefit of all is that when you shop through The Green Stamp is that by purchasing it you are already making a positive impact. As they donate 50% of their commission to wildlife projects worldwide. When everyone takes steps, big or small, together we can create a massive positive impact, and all live a sustainable lifestyle!
All the best,
Dianne
Written by: Dianne Lammers
