I’ve been endorsing the sustainable living for quite a while now, amongst my friends and family and all over social media. And I often get all these questions, if I really think is worth it and if I’m making any change, doing all this…
To be honest, not much I guess.
The big drive we all have is to make a change. Why do we recycle? And refuse to take plastic bags? Or take out cutlery… Well, we all have this idea that maybe with saying NO, this planet will somehow make a step forward towards the pollution problems. Guess what. It won’t. Unfortunately, the studies have shown, that as individuals we can only make a difference in 5% of all the plastic usage. So why do we try? Personally, I think – that 5% is always going to better than 0%. Not only do we lack the recycling capacity to manage the plastic already in circulation, but recent innovations in recycling are also damaging the environment and public health, through air pollution, toxic ash, and other externalities.
Then again, I get asked.
If you only take public transport, you don’t drive and you’re biking everywhere, then at the end of the year, you take a flight to Bali (which consumes more gas than a single car in 1 year btw), how are you making a difference? And I simply answer that by not owning a car and taking buses, bikes, and carpooling, I’m actually minimizing my carbon footprint in a half! Because I’m still going to take that flight.
We’re constantly told that we won’t change a thing by doing all this small stuff, and for sure we won’t be able to change the planet (it’s far too late for that). But we’re doing what we can. Which isn’t a lot, as individuals, but it’s something. I always say that the key to this is awareness. The more we get people aware of plastic, carbon footprint, water usage and similar – the better. When everyone understands the basic it’ll be easier to change a way of living.
Now, sustainability isn’t a one-time thing.
It’s definitely a process. It forms a state of mind and a way of life that gives a foundation of living in a healthy community. There are many different ways to attain a sustainable future. And living sustainably isn’t just about trash and one time use plastic and recycling. It’s about consuming less. If you don’t have the needs in the first place – you automatically consume less – and in the end, you don’t even have to worry about recycling it!
In the end, I want to say I’m doing what I can, but to be honest I can always do better. I recently started using a menstrual cup. I know my mom has been using it for years but I somehow never got convinced. Until I tried it and figured out how much time, money and garbage I’m saving every month!
I’ve been using a Denmark based brand called ORGANICUP. The cup comes with wipes and cleaning supplies (really convenient for traveling) and to be honest, it is way easier to use than I imagined.
No leaks for up to 8 hours, easy to change and wash and the most sustainable product I’ve ever added to my survival kit. I can’t wait to take it around the world without worrying about constantly having to purchase tampons.
And the best thing that after the purchase – there’s no money to be spent on those expensive tampons and pads!
Now, I’ve talked about how I travel to Bali back and forth
(Super excited to leave for Indo again, in couple weeks!!)
Trash on the beaches and one-time plastic pieces are a huge problem there. When I went there, for the first time I’ve been buying bottled water like a crazy person. This time that I go, I’ll try to do better, I will do better. There are so many options (like bringing my own straws to the bar and reusable containers for the takeouts at the streets).
Here are 7 tips into a plastic-free lifestyle
We all have a right to live in a healthy environment. But that right will not be secure until we adopt legally binding measures to limit production of plastics, and to hold companies and governments accountable for the damage plastic does to our bodies, communities, and ecosystems.
Educating people about the importance of recycling is not enough. We simply have to adopt some lifestyle changes.
One step towards the cleaner planet can happen right here, right now. With you. Me. And with us. We don’t have to wait for someone to invent this fancy machine that will automatically start cleaning the oceans, erase plastic from the oceans and get it done with! No,… we can start by not buying this shit anymore and that way we don’t have to worry about the waste, because there isn’t any!!
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