Guest post by Hannah Russell from the sustainable- living store Viveco.
The world of sustainable living can sometimes seem like an overwhelming one, and trying to reduce your reliance on plastic when it is everywhere can seem like an uphill battle; so much so that “Eco-Anxiety” has actually become a recognised term! The challenges facing our planet are enormous and they need to be addressed on every level by world leaders and big organisations; but we should never underestimate the power our actions as individuals can have. A benefit of living more sustainably is that it can have such a positive impact on your own daily life as well.
I started my company Viveco in 2018 when I realised the benefits of learning to live with less had had on my own life (I saved money and freed up time), and wanted to help others as well. Living more sustainably looks different for everyone but everyone can do something.
Change your mindset
The simplest thing you can do (and the cheapest) to live more sustainably is to STOP BUYING so many things. Massive waste is created from manufacturing, packaging and transporting items that are not really needed and end up in landfill– we scroll, click and purchase without really thinking. Simply taking some time to really question what we NEED can cut down on unnecessary purchases.
A good mantra to follow when trying to live more sustainably is the 5 R’s:
By running through this list when buying something you can eliminate a lot of new purchases. Some good questions to ask yourself when buying something new are:
- Do you really need this item?
- Can you buy it second hand?
- Can you borrow it?
“Once you need less, you have more”
Once you have stopped purchasing things that you don’t really need, you immediately save money. This then means that for the things that you really do need to purchase, you can spend more on a better quality item, or on something that has been made sustainably or locally which again has further benefits. I highly recommend checking out Buy Me Once which lists companies which have everyday items that come with lifetime guarantees and even some ‘send back’ programs so you never have to throw away things again.
If you want to learn more about changing habits and how living with less ‘stuff’ can free up more time in your life please check out Bea Johnson’s book (the queen of the Zero Waste Movement) to learn how to kick the buying habit and streamline your life.
Simple Swaps
Once you have cut down on unnecessary purchasing, you are left with the list of things we do need, so what about the essentials? This is where you can start making simple swaps from cheap plastics to more natural materials, recyclables and reusables. The way I did it was to start with an area of the home – the bathroom is a good place – choose items I want to change and researched the available alternatives .
It is important to remember that only 60 years ago convenience plastic didn’t exist, we have developed a false dependence on these items many of which have more sustainable alternatives.
Here are some examples of simple swaps that could quickly reduce waste in your bathroom.
| OUT | SWAP |
| Plastic Toothbrush | Bamboo / Electric Bamboo Heads |
| Plastic Razor | Stainless Steel Safety Razor and Blades |
| Dental Floss | Compostable Corn Floss |
| Wipes | Reusbale Cotton Wipes and Pads |
| Sponges | Natural Loofahs |
| Tampons/Pads | Reusable Cups / Period Underwear |
| Shower Gels | Soaps |
By switching to natural materials and reusables you are stopping plastic from ending up in landfill, resources being used unnecessarily and in many cases saving money!
Sustainable living at home
The kitchen can seem a little overwhelming, as much of the plastic in our lives comes from food packaging and can be very hard to avoid. It is important to do what you can, but don’t feel guilty if there are somethings that seem hard to change at first. If you feel overwhelmed, try making one change at a time, get used to that, and then move onto the next thing.
In the kitchen there are many simple swaps you can make; for storage use glass boxes or stasher bags; change to recycled aluminium foil, and also eliminating unnecessary items as we mentioned previously. A good example of changing mindset is in the purchasing of kitchen roll – every couple of weeks we write it on a list, buy it wrapped in plastic, use it, throw it away, take the bin out then buy it again. If you stop to think – why? You will realise that there is little you need kitchen roll for that an old rag/cut-up t-shirt works just as well. Job done – one less thing to think about, less money spent and better for the planet!
Buying in bulk
Recently there has been an amazing surge in bulk shopping and here in Mallorca there many options available. Individual shops like Nu market in Palma, La Despensa De Inca, and Granelia and Re-Organic in Soller are offering bulk and refill shopping options for food not wrapped in plastic. There are also now aisles available in Carrefour and Alcampo for this as well, just grab your reusable bags and get shopping. If you find making this change too difficult, you can also try ordering items in bigger containers. Instead of individual olive oil bottles, choose a large 5/10 litre can and use it to refill your smaller bottles. The same can apply to your cleaning products/toiletries – anything you know you will use regularly.
Although the thought of living more sustainably can seem expensive and overwhelming at first, once you begin to make changes in your life towards living with less and being less reliant on purchasing unnecessary ‘things’ the benefits soon become tangible. I’d love to hear from you about what you have found difficult / challenging and any amazing swaps you have made.
Make the change towards sustainable living one step at a time
So, to begin living more sustainably you can try the following:
- Buy Less
- Switch from plastics to natural materials
- Change from single use to reusable plastic
- Buy in bulk/refill where possible
- Shop locally
- Make one change at a time
“We don’t need a handful of people doing zero waste perfectly, we need millions doing it imperfectly”. Anne-Marie Bonneau, ZeroWaste Chef.
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