How To Start My Sustainable Lifestyle

Hi! Thanks for being here. I hope you feel you belong to this fashion and beauty community because you do!

There are lots of reasons to start a sustainable lifestyle. Below you’ll discover that with a few resolutions you can achieve well-being for yourself and those around you, but above all with a life purpose that helps you to be happier.

The way you can do this is by starting slowly, in specific areas of your life where you feel most comfortable, such as energy, holidays, home, clothing, beauty care, education, and pets, among many others.

In this post, we’ll start by covering some areas I mentioned earlier, but since my wish is to give you as many tools as possible and, as the content is a little long, I’ll split it into two parts so the remaining areas will be left for the next post.

To do this, you need to know where to start. Here are some examples that you can transfer to your day-to-day life. And remember that the idea is to go step by step. Every day is a day to celebrate your success and to feel that you are doing your bit to save the planet, improving yours and millions of people’s future.

So, let’s get going. Let’s start with the basics.

For all dimensions, you can and should always apply these three rules:

– Buy less and more consciously

– If you need to buy something, favour second-hand purchases

– Alternatively, buy from sustainable brands

(Here on the website, you’ll find several posts that can help you use these three rules. Click on the pink spaces to get started).

Besides these rules, you can also consider basic actions such as the three R’s, which are often referred to when we talk about reducing the carbon footprint:

Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. I’ll go through each one and add practical examples.

Reducing can mean buying less, or also reducing volume, reducing frequency, or reducing quantities. Whether it’s going to the supermarket or buying online, these reductions can become significant over the course of a year. A practical example, which has already become popular, is a laundry detergent (wipes) that comes in a recycled cardboard container and is three times smaller in volume than the classic plastic container.

Reutilization encompasses various methods. Firstly, it involves using an item without altering it, simply assigning it a new function.

Secondly, if we make adjustments to an item to introduce new functionalities, we also call reutilization. Third, we have upcycling, a practice I often engage in with footwear and clothing, which involves adding value to the original piece.

The key message to take away is that almost everything is possible to reuse. Start looking at the things you would typically discard, using creativity; you can find fascinating ideas on social media to inspire you. Below, I provide some basic examples to establish that neither significant investment nor complexity is necessary for recycling, repurposing, or upcycling items.

Recycling, Repurposing and Upcycling examples are below.

Recycled and Repurposed Jars

Repurposing a Swimsuit

Shoes Upcycling – check the complete shoes upcycling here

Recycling, everything that doesn’t have another opportunity, is easy to do today. Recycling paper, glass, plastic, metal, batteries, and electronic devices, is a simple task, but it translates into a huge impact, so don’t fail to do it daily. I remind you that throwing away (or going to the trash) are expressions that contain a frankly wrong conception. Everything we throw away doesn’t go anywhere, it stays here on the planet, we’re just transferring it from one place to another. If we think a little about this and associate the image of all the waste we generate being next to our door, it may be enough to regulate our purchases and learn to manage our waste.

Well, up to this point, we’ve discussed the basic steps. Next, I’ll give specific examples, divided by topics, to help you adopt the measures simply and easily, and make the transition to a sustainable lifestyle even more productive.

With the examples below, we will reduce our carbon footprint, limit unnecessary energy usage, decrease water consumption, respect the environment, and reduce waste production, including hazardous ones. But we will also reinforce human rights, particularly concerning workers exposed to various risks, preserve animal welfare, promote fair trade, and combat inequalities.

Pets

Credits: Erika Augusto – Helena Lopes – Natalie Minich

Caring for our pets involves a lot of love and dedication, but doing so sustainably requires making more conscious decisions in our daily lives and understanding how we can minimize the impact of each choice made.
The first decision is choosing our pet companion. Adopt instead of buying; there are so many in need of a home. Saving or giving a happy life to one of them will bring an abundance of emotions that will be worth it.
Visit the many shelters or rescue organizations near your area to adopt or foster a pet. Fostering a pet can involve a specific period, allowing you to experience the responsibility before committing to life.
To ensure a successful adoption, get informed about the rights and responsibilities of both animals and their owners (adopters). Laws vary by country, but nearly all countries have legislation about this matter. Learn about best practices to ensure the safety of your family and neighbours while providing health and well-being to your pet.
If you’re receiving your pet without a prior vet examination, it’s essential to visit one to assess its overall health and receive necessary recommendations, such as spaying or neutering.
Welcoming a pet home is exciting, but only purchase what’s necessary until you understand their personality and preferences.
Eco-friendly shopping includes buying from second-hand stores, eco-friendly brands, fair trade products, handmade and pet-friendly items. Even better is to receive donated items from organizations or acquaintances.
Be mindful when purchasing food, litter boxes, disinfectants, etc., opting for eco-friendly and pet-safe options. Research and inspire others to do the same.
Homemade solutions for various items are more eco-friendly and can minimize the impact. Choose pet-friendly and vegan alternatives for hygiene and cleaning products. Explore vet-approved recipes with natural ingredients and no chemicals.
Following these tips reduces packaging and transportation footprint and ensures pet-safe ingredients. Always opt for biodegradable packaging and bags.

Clothing and Footwear

Only buy what you need, prioritise quality over quantity, and invest in versatile and durable pieces.
Try buying second-hand if you haven’t before. Choose platforms with good photos and item details and avoid returns.
Just as you shop, you can sell or donate what you don’t need on the same platforms or in physical stores nearby.
Clothes swapping with friends or browsing vintage markets are great ways to find unique pieces full of charm at more affordable prices.
Consider renting, mainly for special occasions where buying one or more items for a single use must be avoided.
Take good care of your pieces, follow washing instructions, and limit unnecessary washes. Air-out clothing often suffices to reuse without washing.
Repair clothing or other textiles or footwear instead of discarding them.
Use your imagination and repurpose your garment; you can also give it new functionality or transform it through upcycling, making it unique and personalised.
If you prefer a minimalist wardrobe, embracing neutral, classic, elegant, and timeless pieces may be a good idea.
If you seek inspiration from social media, remember that many looks you see may work for some people but not necessarily for you. Hence, it is essential to know what suits your image, style, or the message you want to convey.
Choose the materials of your new items carefully, prioritising natural or organic fabrics. Avoid synthetic fabrics; however, if that is necessary, opt for recycled versions.
Carefully examine the label of your new garment and look for sustainability certifications—there are various types related to raw materials, fair trade, etc. Invest time in learning more about this topic here.
Choose always possible sustainable brands. By purchasing from these brands, you’re promoting and supporting more sustainable practices within an industry that is highly polluting, unequal, and unjust, among other undesirable practices.
If you can, maintain a critical and curious spirit, look for innovative designers or practices, and share your findings with family, friends, or communities interested in learning more about this topic.

Vacations:

credits: Nancy Yu – Rachel Claire

Before embarking on an unforgettable vacation, it’s essential to plan carefully so that the memories are fantastic while minimizing their impact on the environment or the communities you visit. Look for sustainable solutions such as ecotourism, agritourism, rural tourism, or community-based tourism.
When planning, avoid travelling by plane. If flying is unavoidable, consider compensating at your destination with bicycle tours or alternative transportation methods escaping combustion engines.
When choosing accommodation, prioritize those that distinguish themselves by minimizing the impact generated by their activity, reducing carbon footprint, waste management, respecting the ecosystem and biodiversity and supporting the local community, among other practices.
Inform yourself about the destination and the activities you wish to engage in and how you can implement them positively, contributing to preserving nature or heritage (cultural, natural, etc.) and people’s lives. Consider bringing items needed but won’t disrupt the existing balance in the community and environment.
For activities involving aquatic or marine environments, ensure respect for habitats and their safe maintenance. The same principles apply to horseback riding or excursions through natural reserves or protected areas.
If your destination involves a safari, consider certain aspects before booking, such as choosing destinations that do not threaten resident species or local inhabitants. Ensure it’s an ethical safari that preserves wildlife and opposes hunting and animal cruelty, promoting non-interference with wildlife, such as feeding animals or endangering fauna, among other invasive tourism practices.
If your trip aims to explore the culture or lifestyle of a particular destination, it’s essential to understand the community’s way of living. And care for their well-being, valuing their heritage, history, and cultural richness.
Prefer destinations and agents that work with entities guaranteeing the minimization of tourists’ impact during their visits. Inquire about the composition of local communities and whether any profits can benefit these communities. Ask how you can contribute to nature conservation programs you visit or programs conserving endangered species, among other examples.
After this guidance, I believe it will be easier for you to plan your next vacation, which will undoubtedly be better by implementing some of these examples and will surely provide you with incredible experiences.

Transportation:

This is undoubtedly the topic where reducing our carbon footprint can be challenging because alternatives aren’t always available. With personal transportation, if possible, opt for a zero-emission choice (e.g., electric vehicles). If you have a combustion engine car, plan your route efficiently and avoid multiple separate trips.
Coordinate with others (safely) to share the car/destination, whether using your vehicle or private transportation platforms.
If you need to travel within an urban area and can use public transport, go for it; it’s a great choice.
An alternative for short trips is cycling or using a scooter (if available). If you have children, there are various options for school transportation involving shared means, such as biking trains, among other examples. Get information from relevant authorities or organizations near your residence.
One way to stay healthy and have a zero carbon footprint is by walking. If you have a short distance to cover during your week, take advantage and establish that you’ll walk there at least once. You’ll find that you’ll feel much better with this decision.

These were the topics we covered in this first part, and I believe you can start incorporating immediately the tips provided.

The remaining topics, such as home, health, beauty, and others, addressed in the second part of the post, will be published soon on the website. To stay updated on new posts, enter your email address, and you’re all set.

If your dream is to live this life to the fullest, schedule a personalized consultation here.

See you soon,

Sustainably yours,

Vera

The Buy Only If Necessary Movement has in its pillars the basis for us to contribute to a more sustainable world, click here now and then share it on your social media. Can you imagine what you can achieve?

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