How can we live more sustainably?

Recently, I’ve been thinking a lot about how to live more consciously and sustainably. Perhaps like many of us, I call myself an environmentalist, and yet I struggle to practice what I preach. In light of a landmark 2019 UN report which paints a dire picture of our effects on the natural world, I want to commit to making small, important, and above all, permanent changes that I can integrate into my life. I'm by no means an expert, but I think I’ve developed a few good ways to reduce my footprint and the amount of waste I produce.

Food and drink

One of the problems I would often run into with previous attempts to to live more sustainably day-to-day is food and drink; specifically, food to take to work and coffee to drink when I’m there. Despite having an unreasonable amount of travel mugs at home, I would often forget to bring one with me. A few months ago, however, I made a real effort to change this, and I now keep a ceramic travel mug on my desk so that I don't have to worry about transporting it back and fourth. If you don't have a desk, I'd recommend keeping a lightweight plastic travel mug in your work or uni bag, and commit to putting it back in there whenever you've used (and washed) it, ready for next time. 

In terms of food, I’m not someone who finds it easy to prep and pack giant containers of healthy meals to eat on the go (there’s simply not enough room in my bag). Most of us also can’t afford to buy lunch every day. My solution is to store food in jars or bring things in in bulk and store them in the fridge at work. However, if you don't have access to a fridge, most things can actually be stored at room temperature in your bag for a few hours after being refrigerated the night before. For instance, I love to make overnight oats (simply soak oats in almond milk or your milk of choice with the option of adding yoghurt or a non-dairy alternative, some cinnamon, berries, dried fruit, etc.), which I store in empty almond butter jars. I also like to make my own bliss balls (a blended mixture of medjool dates, cacao powder, raw almonds or a nut of choice, and shredded coconut) instead of buying individually pre-packed ones from the supermarket. And if you are someone who buys lunch, you can bring in your own jars and ask that your food be packed in there rather than in a plastic container.

Re-usable home products

I live in a household of four people and, unfortunately, we produce a fair bit of waste. I can’t control what everyone does, but I can limit the waste that I produce and hopefully influence the others to do the same. Recently, I’ve stopped using disposable cotton pads to remove makeup, and I’ve purchased some bamboo cotton pads, which I can use and wash at the end of the week. Another great way to reduce waste at home is to swap out disposable kitchen storage items for reusable equivalents, like cloth food bags (both to use at the supermarket and to store your fruit and veg in at home), beeswax food wraps (rather than plastic wrap or foil), food jars, silicone food bags, and more. You can find items like these on Amazon, but there are also great sustainable Australian brands that stock these things, like Seed & Sprout, Flora and Fauna, or your local health food store.

I think if I’ve learned anything, it’s that consistency is important. We all experience bursts of motivation to make big changes, only to find ourselves back at square one. I feel it’s more important to think about what’s realistic for you, and what suits your needs and the needs of your household. Introducing small changes sets a new standard, and as you become more accustomed to a different way of doing things, you can continue to introduce even more changes. It’s not always easy, but it’s important, and we should all encourage each other to work towards living sustainably as individuals and as a broader community.