Does saying ‘no to plastic’ solve the issue of non-sustainable living habits? While it could be the first step towards healthy and sustainable living, it does not stop there!
One summer afternoon, when we were out with friends, AJ asked for a tender coconut. We bought one for her and handed the coconut shell to her without a straw. When my friend quizzed me as to why not, I said plastic! Knowing my sentiments towards plastic she checked with me about paper straws. My question to her was ‘How many trees are we going to cut?’. The summer heat and the lack of shade in the place we were standing seemed to make it the most impactful question I’d have probably ever asked. The conversation then took a healthy turn to how we introduce straws to children when in reality they never needed it.
So, for living sustainably which also translates to healthy living, we must ask ourselves whether we really need something.
The need vs want debate is an old one. But I’d like to share how need trumps want for me. Need is something that is an absolute necessity for me to get on with a day and want is the frills attached to the need.
Let me explain this with the most basic need that has been the biggest hole burner in our pockets but also cost nature her balance and other species their habitats – clothing! My need is washed, pressed and presentable clothes, preferably cotton so they work for summers and for winters I just add on a sweater. The frills attached to this for me would include – the type of clothes, what’s the latest fashion?, what’s new this season?, how many times did I repeat the clothes?, and everything else that’s advertised to make us feel like whatever we have is never enough!
Another example is that of food. We are constantly being sold nutrition packaged in a bottle! But anywhere between 25% to 33% of the food packaged is just sugar. This along with the preservatives, the packaging and the chemicals leaching into the food from the packaging sure does make me question if we really need to buy nutrition in a bottle or just maintain a consistent diet that is native to us?
This holds true for everything starting from our personal care products, cleaning agents, furniture, homes, vehicles, food choices and lifestyle.
What do we do to make the shift?
Read the labels: It is important for us to know how to read the labels, understand the real price we are paying for it throughout the product’s lifecycle.
Find your roots: To find alternate solutions, we may want to go back to your roots, try and find out what our grandparents’ or their parents’ generation did before the capitalist economy took over.
Go local: As much as possible we must try to stick to consuming locally available products and merchandise, which in an easily accessible global marketplace might sound silly, it really filters out the wants from our needs! It also supports small local businesses; protects the art and culture unique to each location. Going local is not only sustainable but healthy too especially when it comes to food!
Conscious consumption: While there is nothing wrong with buying things and occasional indulgences (I do treat myself with some dessert or popcorn every now and then), the key factor is conscious consumption – to be fully aware of the actual price (impact on the environment, our health, and our childrens’ future) we pay for our indulgences will make us more conscious before we click the ‘pay now’ button each time! Trust me when I say this at the risk of sounding frugal, it saves a lot of money.
Sleep over it: Technology has made everything accessible at our fingertips. So, whenever I think we need something I sleep over it, literally! After three days if I still feel the need then and only then do I buy it. The logic behind this is that, in the three days, I’d normally find an alternative solution, the situation that created the “need” passed over or as I like to say solved itself or I just realise it was the frills I was attracted to and there was really no need in the first place. After all I’m human!
Trust me when I say this at the risk of sounding frugal, it saves a lot of money, and we somehow shift our focus on living (even spending) for the experiences!
I’d like to invite you to explore your options to implement sustainability in your lifestyle!
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