If asked, most people would say that they value sustainability, fair trading and ethical production of goods. There aren't many people who enjoy intentionally trashing the planet and exploiting other people, so we'll start with that as an assumption.
However, lack of knowledge, location and lack of money often mean that our values remain at the ideals level rather than being a reality in our everyday lives.
For a long time I believed that if I was to live a sustainable and ethical lifestyle it would mean I had to get free range chickens, install solar panels, make my own clothes and drink organic soy milk straight from the plant... And while this might be a slight exaggeration, I believe this is a view many people still hold.
So, here I've explained six simple and easy changes you can make which go a long way in making our culture one that treasures the natural resources of the earth and gives value and dignity to her global citizens, which to be honest seems like a pretty common sense way of living.
1. Take reusable shopping bag when you go grocery shopping. Supermarkets go through millions of these every year, most of them ending up in landfill. NZ laws mean that recycled plastics cannot come into contact with food so it can be hard to find uses for the bags that do get recycled. You can keep a few material bags in your car or somewhere easy to grab on the way out the door.... They can carry more weight and are much easier to hold than plastic bags and there's no risk of your groceries spilling out all over the road when your 6 gram plastic bag splits!
2. Check out local op shops or thrift stores. When I was younger I had a passionate dislike for these places, I saw them as dirty, filled with old clothes that smelled like their last owners. Now that I have to be an adult and buy my own clothes, my opinions have dramatically changed! Op shops generally do a fantastic job at cleaning and sorting their clothing to filter out unbearable items and it can be an adventure shopping there! Not to mention that you can get clothes for $2 that would have cost $40 new. There's also the benefit of knowing you're not contributing to the fast fashion crisis that is ravaging our neighbors around the world. If this is something you're unfamiliar with, check out my previous posts on the fashion industry.
I'm not being harsh. I'm being real.
If you can't afford to choose a fair trade option, maybe you should ask yourself whether it's really worth the true cost of buying the cheaper product.
4. Use your legs. Driving around town is faster, easier, you stay dry and you don't have to carry things. I get it. But when you choose to walk, you are lowering your carbon footprint, experiencing firsthand the community you live in and probably doing your waistline a favor too. You won't always be able to choose to walk due to distance or children etc, but make a habit of questioning whether you really need the car today and you'll find yourself pumping those legs much more often!
looking and the chemicals in the plastic aren't amazing for you either. If you invest in a solid plastic or metal drink bottle, you look way cooler and make a stand against our never ending disposable culture.
6. Start conversations. Conversations about ethical and sustainable living should never be relegated to the realms of hippies, home-schoolers and policy makers. Oh that this topic would be a common occurrence in our families, churches, workplaces and classrooms! Ask good questions, let yourself be challenged by others opinions, be open minded about this stuff.
