Sustainability

It is described as "meeting our own needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs", in other words, making sure we live consciously - with the planet, its resources and others. There are 3 pillars to this approach : social, economic (which is profit-oriented) and environmental.

Some more information

• Puerto Rico has the world's cleanest air, while Bangladesh has the world’s worst air quality.

• Chinese and Indonesian modal textile are driving rainforest destruction in Indonesia.

• Heating is responsible for more than 75% of the energy consumption of the average Canadian household.

• Plastic takes up to 500 years to degrade, it will leach harmful chemicals into your food + water. Only about 9% of plastic is recycled, the rest is incinerated, landfilled, or dumped.

• Palm oil is present in around 50% of the products you see when you go to the supermarket. It’s being overexploited – destroying ecosystems, biodiversity and supporting unfair human rights practices.

• Common chemicals used in most sunscreens threaten corals (coral reefs host around 25% of all marine life)

• The fashion industry is one of the main polluting industries in the world (not far after the oil industry). Fibres from washing our clothing are one of the biggest sources of microplastic pollution in the oceans. Dyes and chemicals used in the textile-dyeing process can also have very detrimental impacts on our health and on the environment.

• More than $500 billion of value is lost every year because 92 million tonnes of textiles waste is created each year. The average woman purchases 59 articles of clothing each year but only uses 22.

• Beauty products can be toxic for the environment and can contain microplastics. 1 in 8 ingredients used in personal care products are industrial chemicals, including carcinogens, pesticides, reproductive toxins, hormone disruptors. Microbeads are made of plastic and can be found in personal care products such as face cleansers and exfoliants, shaving gels and toothpaste. This is not only an environmental issue but also a women’s health issue.

• 3.6 billion plastic toothbrushes are used across the world every year, with 80% of them ending up in the ocean.

• Each minute in the shower uses 10-20 litres of water. And 73% of the water you use in the home is typically used in the bathroom.

• Nearly 40 percent of edible food in the United States goes to waste.

• Sea animals (dolphins, turtles, sharks etc.) often get trapped in old fishing lines and end up dying.

• 20 to 50 million metric tons of e-waste is discarded every single year. In fact, we will own in average 43 smartphones in our lifetimes

• 75% of the energy used to power household electronics is consumed when they are switched off.

• The standard American household contains over 300,000 items.

• As much as a quarter of our greenhouse gas emissions come from food production, and going vegan lowers it by 60%

Here are my main tips and tools to be more sustainable

• Eat less meat

• Buy used (second-hand is better than new)

• Declutter and donate what you don’t need to keep

• Recycle and compost

• Buy local and seasonal

• Avoid single use products and use more biodegradable products

• Drive less (carpools, public transport, walk or bike)

• Harvest rainwater for garden and plants

• Use energy-saving lights such as LED and use natural light when possible (Ps.Never put old light bulbs in the trash or the recycling bin.)

• Turn off the lights and unplug your devices when not in use

• Use energy efficient appliances (ENERGY STAR certified)

• Turn down the AC and use a fan

• Turn off your car when parked

• Reduce packaging by using refills

• Use your own bags when shopping

• Take shorter showers (use a timer)

• Use reusable or recyclable products : (ex. menstrual cups, bamboo toothbrush + hairbrush, stainless steel water bottles + straws, wax wraps)

• Use rechargeable batteries

• Use multipurpose products

• When you’re cooking avoid putting oil and grease in the drain

• Avoid products or food that use palm oil (it’s killing the orangutans)

• Avoid buying real wool, leather or fur = go cruelty-free!

• Buy products that are not tested on animals

• Buy quality products made of durable materials

• Wash laundry in cold water and air dry it

• Use glass jars over plastic containers

• Meal plan and buy in bulk

• Pay attention to labels ; buy ethical, fair trade and organic when possible

• Have more plants inside

• Cook more ; less takeout (bring your own mug for takeaway drinks!)

• Give people experiences instead of things, save gift bags and boxes for future use

• Go paperless and avoid using paper towel (you can also borrow books instead of buying new ones)

• Adopt don’t shop

• Use ecosia as your search engine (it plants trees for you!)

• Repair instead of throwing away

• Sign petitions

• Follow the zero waste movement

• Calculate your carbon footprint

• Invest in renewable resources (electric cars, sun panels, wind etc.)

• Only buy certified sustainable seafood (MSC)

• Donate to an animal sanctuary or sponsor an animal.

• Save the bees and butterflies by planting more flowers

• Avoid buying new clothes made of synthetic fabrics

• Avoid products that have parabens and phthalates in them (it kills corals)

• Use vinegar or baking soda or essential oils (such as lemon) to clean

• Eat non-GMO food

• Focus on “quality over quantity”

Remember : Supply and demand are economic forces of the free market that control what suppliers are willing to manufacture and what consumers are willing to purchase. Your money has power. Learn to live with intentionality and simplicity!

My favorite shops and brands :

• Lush (beauty + skincare products)

• Thinx (period underwear or menstrual cups)

• Wolven (active wear)

• Saje (beauty + house products)

• Patagonia (active + outside wear)

• Prana

• Kuhl

• Icebreaker (active + outside gear)

• Burt’s Bees (beauty + skincare products)

• Bare Republic, Goddess Garden or All Good Sunscreens

• Eco Tools (beauty products)

Some resources :

• Netflix documentary “A Plastic Ocean”

• https://zerowastechef.com/

• https://www.toxicbeautydoc.com/

• https://theminimalistvegan.com/

• https://bemorewithless.com/

• https://bcorporation.net/

• https://davidsuzuki.org/

• https://theecohub.ca/

• https://crueltyfree.peta.org/

• https://www.globalstewards.org/

• https://www.footprintnetwork.org/

• https://www.carbonfootprint.com/

• https://www.watercalculator.org/

• https://www.habitat.org/

• https://savethereef.org/

• https://environmentaldefence.ca/