For years, Tom and I have been separating our waste to the best of our ability. But can materials be recycled endlessly? And do we separate our waste correctly?
It is complicated that countries and even regions have different ways of separating waste.
In addition, there are sometimes urban stories about how eventually all the waste ends up back together and that separation does not work out.
And finally, it also turns out that certain materials cannot be recycled endlessly.
The question of what is a sustainable lifestyle precedes our knowledge of how we can achieve such a lifestyle. We need to agree on some notion of what sustainability is before we can actually make an effort.
Often to our frustration, we’re all aware that the scope of our sustainable actions is limited. However, by taking all individual actions together, we can make a substantial difference.
At the core of this effort is our understanding that moderation is the key to a sustainable lifestyle. Less is more. Being aware of this saves the environment and when we’re lucky also our health, our time, and our money.
How can you be sustainable while traveling around the world might be a weird topic, hardly being able to travel at all because of the covid rules.
However, when you have the time to mesmerize about traveling, this will perhaps lift up your spirits a bit.
If so, you might as well take the opportunity to design a sustainable travel plan. This is good for you, for the environment, for biodiversity, for the climate, and for the people that live in the countries and places you wish to visit.
In 2020 there was worldwide 900% more plastic than in 1980. An unbelievable number, don’t you think? I think there is a huge responsibility with the companies that produce plastic objects and wrap their products in plastics. Yet we as consumers can put in an effort as well. It’s not that hard.
There are easy ways to reduce plastic waste for conscious consumers. I agree with the following quote: “We don’t need a handful of people doing zero waste perfectly. We need millions of people doing it imperfectly”.
Please don’t worry, I didn’t lose my sustainable dream or would promote the use of plastic. Yet, let’s be realistic: is there absolutely no plastic in our houses? We can’t avoid it, can we?
Is plastic really a problem, or is there something wrong that is way more fundamental? I think it’s the latter. As long as plastic equals the throwaway culture, not only plastic will stay a problem but all resources will become a problem.
The way materials are used makes it hard to comply with the sustainability quote “Refuse Reuse Recycle Repair Reduce Rot Rethink”. Part of the problems has to be solved by the industry and part of them can be solved by us, individuals.
E-waste, short for Electronic waste, means all your leftover electronics. With technology progressing so fast, many people have tons of old TVs, computers, cell phones, and other old stuff just lying around the house not being used.
How to recycle e-waste? As long as it is still in the cupboard drawer or a box, e-waste can do little harm. Although it is of course a pity that it is uselessly waiting for a destination.
Worse, many of these old devices end up in nature or in illegal dumping grounds. While there are plenty of good solutions for e-waste that save nature and can even provide us with money.
The first time I wanted to order at Amazon I waited until I had 5 items I needed. I could have saved myself the trouble because these items were delivered on several days by 4 different deliverers. And the amount of plastic I had to throw away afterward was HUGE.
Instead of complaining, being wiser after some eye-opening conversations I had with businesses about customer service, I decided on my own strategy to reduce packaging: “I used my feet” and searched for more environmentally aware shops.
In the article Easy Sustainable Living Ideas – Pick 1 or 2 and Start Living Green, I have listed other things Tom and I could do to try to have a sustainable lifestyle. For now, I’ll write down what we do at the moment. Let’s call it the baseline measurement.
Whenever I read articles from others who have a zero-waste or a sustainable lifestyle, I have the impression we don’t give it enough effort. But then I recite my favorite quote in my head: “We don’t need a few people who do everything right but a lot of people who do some things well”.