"The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it".
Here at Free the Label we take a pledge to commit to treading as lightly as possible on the Earth, with sustainable living and thoughtful choices everyday.
Committing to sustainable living is not something we can do overnight. It takes commitment to being open to change and learning. Adapting can seem like you're going against the flow in a world where many of us have the ability to live beyond our means. Day to day life activities can directly affect the environment and it's our responsibility as individuals to start being aware of how our footprints (however small) can cause major long term effects on our beautiful planet.
Many of us do not even realise when we are doing this; but simply at home, at work, in the street, shopping, cooking, in our leisure time. But thankfully we can take steps to ensure our everyday choices make a positive impact.
So what exactly is sustainable living?
To be put simply, sustainable living is all about making choices that consider the impact on the planet. Striving to create less waste and prioritise using renewable and recyclable items. Being sustainable is meeting the needs of the present without compromising the quality of life for future generations. A sustainable lifestyle takes into account eating, transportation, socialisation, energy use, waste disposal and more.
Want to make the earth a better place to live in?
If you're interested in reducing your carbon footprint and living a more sustainable life, there are countless things you can do to have a positive impact on the planet. Here are some of our favourites…
Reducing single use plastic - The elimination of single use plastic is urgently needed. The good news is that there are some easy things you can do to reduce the amount of single-use plastic you are using individually. Easy approaches to sustainable living which will make help you to ‘tread more gently' in your day to day. Things like, use a tote or reusable bag for your grocery shopping, use a refillable water bottle, buy a wooden or metal straw and swap to a reusable coffee cup instead of takeaway cups. Drastically reducing consumption of these key single-use plastic items would effectively eliminate the major sources of marine pollution.
Transportation - Consider alternatives with lower emissions when going about your everyday activities; try walking, riding a bike, talking public transportation or carpooling wherever you can. These smart swaps will reduce greenhouse gases which contribute to climate change. Every little helps.
A conscious diet - Consuming less meat will help to reduce your environmental impact by lowering greenhouse gasses as well as land and water use. If everyone committed to 'meat free monday' this alone would be a huge step in the right direction with a big impact. These steps toward conscious eating are where you can directly improve the environmental impact of your food choices, a huge step in the right direction for our planet.
Image courtesy of Good Mantra, Bali
Shopping - Remember that as a consumer, you have the power to influence how an industry operates, by changing how you choose to spend your money. Vote with your wallet. Start to support your smaller local businesses, buy food that's in season, shop at farmer's markets, reduce food waste and go cruelty free when you can. Enjoy discovering new ethical, slow fashion and sustainable brands that have true sustainable practices, buy timeless pieces and do the research into the brands you support.
Eliminate waste - Reduce, reuse and recycle. Recycling prevents the emissions of many greenhouse gases and water pollutants, not to mention saving energy. Taking small steps to create good recycling habits in your daily life can quickly become an easy habit with positive benefits for the environment.
There are endless ways to live sustainability, and if we all do our best as individuals to take small steps to help reduce our carbon footprint the overall impact will be huge. Though living in a world where waste is the norm can make achieving sustainability seem difficult, developing good habits and positive behavioural changes can help. By making lifestyle changes, you have the opportunity to contribute to a healthier style of living for our planet.