Five Habits for a More Sustainable Lifestyle

A lot of people associate sustainably lifestyles with extreme hippies or die hard activists and that can seem discouraging, daunting, and unrelatable to most. Sustainability doesn't have to be perfect. We just all have to care enough to try. I just love the quote from Anne Marie Bonneau:

“We don’t need a handful of people doing zero waste perfectly. We need millions of people doing it imperfectly."

I don't live a zero waste life. I wish I did, but I don't...not yet at least. What I do is find a way to be more and more sustainable every month. It's scary that the planet has been hurting because our modern lifestyles, but instead of shaming people because they aren't doing enough, I believe it is better to educate and support people into making changes for themselves by making it seem easier and more relatable. I mean, if we could get everyone to stop buying plastic water bottles for a month it would mean 41 million single use plastic bottles would not be used. 41 MILLION plastic bottles in the US alone. That would not only decrease the amount of plastic being discarded, it would decrease the demand of plastic water bottles being made, decrease the sales for the water bottle companies which in turn would make them look for a better solution to be made available. Change can be hard, but we are here to try to make it easier. Here are 5 areas where you could make a change right now. 

 1. Ditch one single use plastic item 

Sustainability can seem daunting, but we want to change that. Remember,  a small change can go along way. Start with one goal, like remembering to pack your reusable water bottle when you leave the house instead of buying a plastic single use water when you get thirsty. Making the switch to a more sustainable lifestyle can be as simple as:

-Actually remembering your re-useable grocery bags 

-Reusable Food Storage containers instead of Ziplocks

-Reusable food food wraps instead of plastic wrap for food storage

-Reusable Water bottle instead of single use

-Bamboo toothbrush

-Bar soap instead of body wash

-Reusable metal straw

-Products you can refill instead of buying more plastic (like soap containers)

-Buying in bulk instead of buying a lot of small single use items

-Opt for products with glass casing instead of plastic

-A water purifier instead of plastic water jugs

(if you have any other ideas comment below!)

2. Support Local And Reduce CO2 Emissions: 

The food we buy in our grocery stores is known to travel long distances from farm to distributions centers all across the country before being transported again to your local grocery store.  All these stages of transportation place a high CO2 price on shopping for nonlocal products and produce.  Make the easy change to shop local, support your local farmer's markets, and get better quality food that is grown right in your backyard.  This is a sure way to reduce your environmental impact significantly, given that your local eco-friendly shops do most of the groundwork by using responsible sourcing and manufacturing to create the products they sell. Shopping at the farmers market or local stores means simply, the food there is processed less and transported less, which leads to less CO2 emissions. As an added plus, you are supporting your community. *Farmers markets on Oahu are still open during the COVID restrictions and some offer contactless pick up for produce. Contact your local farmers or farmers markets for how they do this. Here are some farmers markets around Oahu you can check out:

Thursdays 2-6pm Haleiwa 

Saturdays 8am - 12pm Pearlridge

Saturdays 8am - 12pm Honolulu/Ward

Sundays 8am - 12pm Kailua Town

click here for more information

 

3. Switch To Sustainable Fashion And Products Instead Of Fast Fashion:

When you buy clothing made from recycled and organic materials, it cuts down on pollution by 80%, due primarily to production savings. It is high time we all became a little more self-aware of the impacts of our actions on the surrounding environment; we can start looking at the part strive for quality classic pieces and avoid the mass production system that is fast fashion. If it costs less then your coffee... its probably fast fashion. There is a growing list of sustainable and eco-friendly fashion brands, especially for women, that offer both affordable, sustainable, and ethically made clothing. 

4. Eat More Veggies (And Less Meat):

Eating a little less meat plays a significant role in saving the planet and keeping you healthy in the long haul. The meat industry The US consumes way to much meat and to be honest its been marketed to us from a very young age. I'm not saying you don't have to be vegan or vegetarian, but just like the water bottle example earlier: if everyone consumed 1 less meal with meat it could make a huge difference not only on the environmental impact of the production of meat, but societies view of meat.  We also can't emphasize the vast array of health benefits that comes with eating more veggies; the high nutrient profile in veggies validates why we should eat more. Veggies provide nutrients like fiber, calcium, folate, magnesium, iron, potassium, phytochemicals, Vitamin A, C, E, and K while helping to keep the planet safe—Go green! Save green! Eat green! Here are some websites with awesome vegetarian and vegan reciepes to try out:

 

5. Be Water Conscious:

Would you believe that by taking shorter showers and not wasting cold water waiting showing to warm up can save between 200 and 300 gallons of water a month?  Rather than let that precious water run down the train while you wait for it to heat up, using a bucket to capture the water for use later in your garden.  Small changes like this and committing not to leave the water running while you brush your teeth, shave or wash your face. What's more, individually, you could save up to 3,650 gallons of water per year by cutting down your shower time by 4 minutes? Water is precious; make the mind shift to treat it as such. 

How we try to be more eco-friendly as a brand?

In todays age there are a lot of ways that companies can be more sustainable and reduce their negative environmental impact on the world. To start off, our swimwear fabric is made from recycled plastic from fish nets and other plastic sources. Making recycled fabric reduces the environmental impact of the production of fabric on the planet by 80%. Our fabric is dyed and printed using only eco-friendly and OEKO-TEX® certified dyes. Our bikinis are packaged using plant based bags (instead of plastic), wrapped in recycled tissue paper with a recycled hang tag. We also use biodegradable shipping bags instead of plastic polymailers. As new technology comes out, we are constantly innovating our practices to be the more sustainable company possible. 

Like most things, constant, small change are the most potent and sustaining changes.  Reflect on the tips above, and feel free to tweak them to fit your lifestyle at your current state in transitioning to be a little more eco-friendly daily.

 Have anything to add? Comment it below!