No Products in the Cart
FREE SHIPPING FOR ALL AUSTRALIAN ORDERS OVER $69
The term sustainable living is a broad one that can be defined in many ways. What constitutes "sustainable living" will vary from person to person. Still, most people agree that the way you live should not cause harm to the environment - whether it be your local community or globally. You must think about how your life affects others and take responsibility for those impacts. You should also consider whether there are other ways to meet your needs without compromising the environment's integrity.
This means making responsible decisions about your home, energy use, the products you purchase and food consumption from an individual level. For example, you could grow your own vegetables in a vertical garden, buy locally-sourced organic food or install solar panels on your roof. On a larger scale, it can mean campaigning for sustainable political policies or working with your local council to improve recycling services.
Sustainable living is about being mindful of your decisions and understanding how they impact you, your community, the environment, and future generations. Sustainable living isn't just about going green or recycling—it's about shifting from a linear model of consumption to a circular one. Sustainable living aims not to create waste; instead, it focuses on reducing, reusing, recycling (or composting), repurposing items whenever possible. This means buying less stuff but making sure that when you buy something new, it's of good quality and will last.
Sustainable living provides a wide range of benefits to you, your family and the community such us:
By choosing to use recyclable or non-toxic building materials, you are making a conscious effort to reduce your impact on the environment. You are helping to prevent deforestation by using products that can be made from recycled material.
People who live in energy-efficient homes typically have lower utility bills than those not living sustainably. The average family could save up to 15% on their monthly utility bill by making small changes to their home.
You are reducing your personal contribution to harmful greenhouse gases when you choose sustainable options for everyday life choices.
Try supporting local farmers who grow organic healthy foods instead of the food that's typically shipped into your grocery store. When you choose products from local growers, they're often grown without pesticides and other chemicals. This could potentially reduce your exposure to dangerous toxins in the foods you eat while helping your community too!
By practising reforestation, recycling your waste products and using alternative energy options, you can help to mitigate climate change. By choosing to make a lifestyle change on this scale, you are taking the initiative to protect the environment for future generations.
As you become more aware of how your choices can affect others and the planet, living sustainably may help you improve your relationship with nature. This might inspire you to pursue other activities that promote spiritual development and realise the interconnectedness between all life forms.
The goal of sustainable living is to create a lifestyle that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. This means living in a way that respects the earth's finite resources and ensuring that we don't use up more than can be regenerated.
It also means balancing our individual needs with the needs of the larger community, so that everyone has access to clean air, water, and land. Sustainable living is about creating a system where people, the planet, and the economy can thrive together for centuries to come.
Sustainability is about much more than just energy-efficient light bulbs and recycling. It's a lifestyle choice that all of us can make, and it's about being aware. Check out these ideas to see how you can start making your home more sustainable!
1) Insulate your home well to keep the heat in during the winter and out during the summer.
Insulation reduces the need for heating and cooling, which means that you'll rely less on fossil fuels like oil and gas to regulate the temperature of your house. This will help reduce emissions from power plants and other sources that burn fossil fuels.
2) Repurpose items around the house.
Hang an old door over your fireplace to make a slipcover for children's artwork, or use an old pallet as an outdoor bench.
3) Plant your own veggie garden to save money on produce and ensure freshness.
One of the best ways to live sustainably is to plant your own veggie garden. You can save money on produce, and you'll know exactly where your food comes from. Plus, gardening is a great way to get some exercise and spend time outside in nature.
4) Use a clothesline instead of a dryer
Using a clothesline instead of a dryer will save on the energy used to operate the appliance, which reduces your carbon footprint. You can also use clotheslines indoors to dry out wet towels or clothing left out in the rain.
5) Buy things secondhand, or buy in bulk to reduce packaging.
Buying things secondhand reduces the number of items that have to be manufactured and decreases the amount of waste going into a landfill. You can also buy in bulk to reduce packaging, which means less time filling up your trash from home.
6) Use a compost heap for all your kitchen scraps and other compostable waste.
A compost heap can turn kitchen and yard waste into useful nutrients for trees and plants, and it cuts down on the amount of trash you need to throw away in landfills.
7) Turn off lights and other appliances when not in use
Many appliances and lights consume energy even when we're not using them. It's essential to turn off the things that we're not using – and unplug items if possible – to stop phantom energy use.
8) Modernise your home with sustainable materials and new technology
Sustainable living is about being more conscious of the choices you make, so it's important to re-evaluate our existing homes and seek out ways to modernise them with sustainable building materials and energy-efficient appliances. This includes using solar power to heat water and the use of rainwater to irrigate outdoor spaces.
9) Install solar panels and other sustainable sources of energy for your home
Solar panels and other sustainable energy sources can help reduce the amount you spend on utilities each month by generating electricity from renewable energy sources. Solar energy is great for those homes that don't have easy access to a green space or garden to set up their own small-scale ecosystem.
10) Use biodegradable cleaning products for your home
By using biodegradable, plant-based cleaning products, you reduce your use of toxic chemicals that pollute the water. Some plant-based cleaners can also be made right in your home using oils and other household ingredients. Plus, these are better for your health, too!
11) Use recycled materials to decorate your home.
Recycled materials are great for DIY projects, because they're inexpensive, readily available, and often beautiful. You can use scrap wood, metal, and plastic to create new items for your home or garden by working with a crafty DIY mindset.
12) Reduce, reuse and recycle materials in your home.
Reducing energy use is one of the best ways to live sustainably, but reusing items around your home will also help reduce waste. You can even get creative by finding new uses for old things that are normally thrown away.
13) Use eco-friendly bags for your produce and grocery items.
Plastic bags are among the most common forms of waste found in landfills, so it's important to reduce their use by using eco-friendly bags for produce and other grocery items. Many stores offer paper or cloth bags that can be reused over and over again.
Living sustainably is a series of choices that we make every day. It's about finding out what you can personally do to be more conscious in your approach to life, and choosing to live in a way that reduces your carbon footprint.
For those looking to reduce their carbon footprint and live more sustainably, one only needs to make a few small changes to have a positive impact. From using biodegradable cleaning products or solar power at home, these sustainable living tips should help you get started on your journey towards an eco-friendly lifestyle.
Goods that Give is a website that showcases sustainable, ethical, and environmentally friendly products. From natural skincare products for you and your pets, laundry detergents, plastic-free kitchenware, reusable bamboo pads, and more!
If you're ready to take the next step, view our selection of eco-friendly and sustainable options below to help you get started on your journey towards an eco-friendly and sustainable lifestyle.
