With more and more people being conscious of a healthier environment, sustainable living has become quite popular worldwide. As per the estimates, around 0.65 to 98 billion people belong to the sustainable population.
Such a lifestyle is said to improve the quality of people’s lives and save natural resources for the upcoming generation. It also keeps the ecosystem protected and ensures independence and self-governance.
While the benefits are diverse, you must be wondering what exactly sustainable living is. Here’s everything you need to know:
What is Sustainable Living?
Sustainable living is a type of eco-friendly lifestyle where people make changes for a healthier planet and a better tomorrow for future generations. It is where you prioritize renewable and natural resources instead of ones that deplete environmental resources.
This type of lifestyle is based on four pillars:
- Reducing waste
- Limiting the use of natural resources
- Ensuring a wise use of the environment
- Promoting a quality environment for working and living
Principles of Sustainable Living
A sustainable lifestyle requires certain principles to be followed. This includes:
Sustainable water usage: Adapting water management systems for efficient water utilization.
Local and organic food: Encouraging sustainable farming with healthy, organic, and good diets, ensuring that no food is wasted
Sustainable materials: Producing durable and efficient products through waste or renewable resources
Sustainable transport: Travelling/using low or zero-carbon transport systems, adapting green transport services
Zero waste approach: Ensuring zero waste by buying/consuming the things that are needed.
What Does Sustainable Living Look Like?
Besides the given principle, a sustainable lifestyle involves several lifestyle changes that can ensure a better living for people. It isn’t possible for everyone to be 100% sustainable, but it is always recommended to try and do as much as you can. All in all, here are some things that a sustainable life includes:
- Using renewable energy like sun, wind, water, and geothermal energy instead of fossil fuels for your home.
- Purchasing food sources from farmers that use organic and regenerative farming techniques
- Switching to a plant-based diet and trying to consume less meat
- Growing your own food in the garden
- Learning new ways to preserve and freeze food while also using the scraps
- Donating to campaigns that support sustainable living .
- Reusing and repairing items
- Shopping with a sustainable mind
- Driving less to reduce carbon emissions (try walking or cycling as much as you can)
- Following the people helping people approach
Benefits of Sustainable Living
Besides saving the planet, sustainable living has several advantages of its own:
Money-saving
In a sustainable lifestyle, you will be using natural resources. Besides, you will also learn how to sensibly/efficiently use the available resources. Both of these approaches will help you to save money and ensure a lesser cost of living.
Good Health
Sustainable living encourages people to be organic with their food choices. And as you must know, organic and locally-sourced food is much healthier than processed food.
Connection with the Community
Sustainable living ensures that people indulge in local stores, local cultural activities, and community projects. Such an approach will help you communicate with the community and inspire them toward a sustainable life.
Good Feeling
Besides that, a sustainable lifestyle will make you feel happy as you will be doing something good for the planet and yourself. The sense of satisfaction and positive response will keep you motivated to be on the right track. Auroveda is one of the top NGOs that incorporate sustainable living.
That’s all! This is what a sustainable living/lifestyle looks like.