6 Simple Tips To Be More Sustainable In 2021
Want to be more eco friendly? Every small action we take each day impacts the planet we live on. From our first morning shower, to our evening dinner. Our seemingly harmless choices are dictating the future of our beautiful planet
Scary, huh?
You might be one of the folks who are already devoted to making daily sacrifices for our future planet or you might be a downright sustainability virgin, but one thing’s for sure, we can all do our bit. Yep, even you!
Here are 6 totally practical tips to a more sustainable life that YOU can implement every day, even in a small way…
- SAVE ENERGY
Starting off with the easy one; switching off! Modern life runs almost exclusively on electricity, most of us would be lost or even jobless without our tech & devices. But do the chargers of our laptops, phones, speakers, and tablets need to be left switched on at the source all day whilst were out living our best lives? No! Wall plug sockets left on unnecessarily act like “vampire switches”, which actually suck energy (electricity, power, and money!) away. All that power going down the drain!
Vampire switches waste approximately 135,000 hours of household electrical power per year. They do this by being things like TV’s, kettles, device chargers, printers and smart speakers being greedily left on standby.
If you’re not doing this yet, start now.
By turning off devices at the wall when not in use, and turning unneeded lights off you are becoming more energy efficient, and saving yourself some cold hard cash! Switch off to smarten up.
- SAVE WATER
Ah, water, our life source, our essential survival element. We don’t just drink it, we use it to wash ourselves, dirty plates, cars, and bikes, fill up paddling pools, feed our house plants, and much, much, more…
According to the UK Environment Agency people in the UK will be facing water shortages by 2050 unless we stat saving water fast.
You know the drill. Start by tuning the tap off when you brush your teeth, not keeping the tap running whilst you’re washing up, filling up a bucket instead of keeping the hose running in the garden when you’re gardening, only filling the kettle up with the amount you need.
Reduce the need for fresh water by using household ‘grey water’ (used water from sinks, showers, baths, washing machines) on the plants in the garden, for washing the car and cleaning outdoor equipment when possible.
Also while you’re at it chuck a GuppyFriend Bag in with your washing to eliminate nasty micro plastics that get released into the oceans when we wash our clothes. You can buy them on the Vivida website here.
- SAVE EMISSIONS
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions from fuel hungry vehicles and engines is vital for reducing your carbon footprint. Every journey makes a difference. Could you cycle instead? Would it be nicer to walk? Could you car share with a friend or colleague? Is it a nicer route on the bus? Could I get some work done if I travelled by train?
By walking or choosing public transport you are immediately reducing the environmental impact you have on the planet. Imagine how small a traffic jam queue would be if everyone was car sharing?
You can almost smell the cleaner air on your morning commute just thinking about it…
- SAVE PAPER
Admit it, when’s the last time you put pen to paper? Despite the lost art of calligraphy being shame, our paper footprint is decreasing with the rise of tech. But, that being said, deforestation is having a devastating impact on wildlife habitats all over the world. Trees being cut down just so we can have our online deliveries arrive covered in packaging, is shameful.
Click the setting on your mobile banking apps to go paperless, same with all your energy bills, and any other forms of post you receive regularly. It takes minutes. Do it now.
Not asking for a receipt when shopping, using less kitchen roll & toilet paper, refusing a napkin when eating out, and requesting not to have a straw at a bar will save paper, plastic waste and cardboard resources.
Offsetting the emissions from flights and taking you own bag to the supermarket are incredibly easy ways you can become more eco friendly right now.
Choose plastic-less products in your everyday purchases. Aim for less or zero packaging on fruit and vegetables, shampoos and soaps, and any other household items. Becoming aware of how much you’re filling up your recycling bin is a good way to monitor usage. Try using newspaper as a liner to your kitchen bin instead of bin bags.
If you fancy having your own set of eco friendly straws, try these BPA- free beauties from Vivida, complete with an illustrated draw string bag, they’re quintessential for any adventurer.
- SAVE FOOD
Food glorious food, something we encounter every day. EVERYTHING from what, how, where & why we eat our food impacts the earth.
Starting from choosing what we’d like to eat and why. It’s been widely researched that a vegan diet has the lowest environmental impact, and reducing our consumption of meat and dairy products will help diminish your food-print. Being plant based, growing your own fruit and vegetables from home or simply having “meatless Mondays” or “no diary days” can dramatically help lower the demand for emission producing animal produce.
How much food goes to waste daily in your household? Could you plan to cook all together or make meals in bulk to prevent wastage? Freezing leftovers, or using them for garden composting is a good option.
Where we consume is a major factor too. Could you choose places that use Vegware instead of plastic takeaway materials? We vote with our wallets and (kindly) asking your favourite local takeaways/restaurants to consider their sustainability options spreads awareness that we can all help the planet when eating out. Conscious eating and cooking are a small step towards sustainability.
- SAVE FASHION
Fast fashion has sent us speeding towards a natural disaster. High street brands are changing their designs and stocking up their shop floors more frequently than ever before. The demand for cheap materials has skyrocketed along with the destructive environmental impacts. Finding high quality, conscientious products from respectable brands, for your next adventure is made easier with Vivida Sustainable products, such as their swimwear.
Fusing high performance with thoughtful style, their swimwear neoprene is made from recycled bottles. Meaning you can look as unstoppable as you feel!
Feeling even more adventurous? Ride the perfect wave in the reversible Linda wetsuit made from recycled rubber tyres and plastic bottles.
The Imperfect Collection saves any surplus Vivida garments going to landfill and embraces imperfections. All items are purpose fit, functional and fantastically unique. Take a gander here.
- SAVE TIME!
Sustainable lifestyle is nothing without the mention of how we spend our time each day. Like we vote with our wallets, we decide by our actions too. Mindful living puts out the right energy to the rest of the world and sparks the conversation that taking the steps now to care for the planet will impact future generations to come. We are in such a powerful and inspiring position to potentially invigorate the future of the planet with our minor daily decisions!
For instance, actively choosing to spend more time outdoors in nature and less time in places that require mass air conditioning, lighting and energy, like shopping centres, cinemas, hair dressers, offices etc is a good start. The less demand there is for high energy consuming areas the better!
Planting trees with loved ones, sewing flowers with friends, and growing your own plants, will help increase biodiversity and improve natural habits for wildlife. A strong eco system is the lifeblood of a sustainable world, without nature we are nothing.
Getting into the habit of fixing items you already have is the old school way of staying eco friendly. Fixing bedding with your own needlework, organising a book swap sessions, or buying second hand equipment like, a bicycle from a neighbour reduces your carbon footprint even further. Think of all the new friends you’ll make on your car pool road trips!
Simple acts of kindness like leaving sugar water out for unwell bees is a selfless and wholesome way of restoring and protecting the eco system.
If everyone decided right now to take some dynamic and empowering steps towards becoming more protective of our wondrous world we might have a shot at saving it…
Written with love by India Bornhoft ✨ for Vivida Lifestyle
Indie Bornhoft is a personal trainer and watersports coach, who encourages her clients to make movement their mantra. She has coached every ability in wakeboarding, paddleboarding, SUP fitness, and windsurfing for over ten years, and is highly qualified in all disciplines. Discover more about her drive to just keep moving and be inspired to connect to the raw power of body & spirit through fitness.
Reference sources:
- https://www.confused.com/gas-electricity/guides/standby-energy-vampire-device
- https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/environment-agency
