Learn easy ways to become a sustainable, ethical consumer with YogaToday blogger/ jewelry maker/ sustainable fashionista Sofia Frasca.
1. BYOB (Bring Your Own Bags)
It’s the best kind of baggage to have. When you go to the grocery store, it’s great to have your reusable bags to haul everything home with. Another great sustainable switch when you’re grocery shopping is using produce bags over plastic bags. You can also choose no bag for the lemons but if you like to keep things together, you’ll love produce bags in a few different sizes.
Don’t let the fun stop at the grocery store though! Anytime you’re ready to shop, take your reusable bags into the store with you. Whether your town or county has chosen to ban plastic bags yet doesn’t mean that you can’t start making the shift to a more sustainable and eco-friendly choice now.
2. Shop Second-Hand
I have to be honest, this is a personal favorite. A few secrets to the thrifting trade include patience, optimism, and an open mind. I’ll elaborate because the statistics against the downfalls of fast fashion (not that second-hand is limited to clothes) and cheap products are staggering. If you are new to thrift stores, you have to be ready to comb through the store to truly see what it has to offer you. This takes patience and a keen eye. Optimism will help you keep hope that you’ll find something, on your current trip or the next. Using an open mind helps expand the possibilities. This might mean buying clothing based on the fit and feel, rather than the size on the tag. If you are thrifting for home goods and furniture it might mean imagining the piece with a fresh coat of paint.
Analysts have predicted that by the end of this decade, the secondhand clothing industry will expand past the fast fashion sector.
3. Pick Things Without Plastics
The prevalence of plastic products and products packaged in plastic saturate the marketplace. When you find yourself browsing brands at the store, try to opt for the products that have mindfully chosen the more sustainable packaging. Opting for the peanut butter in the glass jar may seem like a small choice but it is our everyday lifestyle choices that will continue to dictate the market and environment around us.
4. Pick Things Made with Recycled Plastics
There is something oddly satisfying about knowing that we can take plastic and turn it into something good. A favorite, especially for yogis, is the sustainable activewear brand, Girlfriend Collective, which uses recycled water bottles to create their clothing. Brands like Girlfriend Collective are helping to make an impact and a difference in the clothing industry.
5. Choose Sustainable Brands
If you take away any key points from this article, may it be that you can make the conscious choices to a more sustainable lifestyle. Find brands that share your values around sustainability. Some ethical brands to check out are Everlane, Outerknown, and Siblings Premium Candles. By choosing to purchase from brands that share your values, you are helping to put the power of the economy in the hands of people that care.
Building a More Sustainable Life: The List Goes On!
Building a more sustainable life is a compounding practice and you can learn new tricks along the way. Have any top tricks to living well with low impact?! Share with our community in the comments or send us over an email!
