The Asian Read Team
The life you lived is intertwined with the way you lived it, and its only sad to see how we
humans are separated from the nature and on top of that not being able to give back to the
very life form. As cumbersome it may sound to be living a sustainable lifestyle, it is even
simpler to be mindful of the resources we are blessed with. Taking a small yet effortless step
in to being more open and aware about usage and disposal of our resources can go a long
way into creation of blissful and healthy living.
There are many patterns to unlearn from our modern ‘live fast’ lifestyle, and there again is a
lot to learn about a natural way of being. A task as simple as decreasing the shower time by
two minutes can save up to 5 gallons of water and a shower as short as 5-7 minutes can
reduce CO2 emissions by 70to80% per shower. Hey! Just to be fair, this article is not to
influence you into living like a cave man, but only to make you aware of the harm as well as
the ways to rescue the environment. Let’s be a little clear of our approach by defining areas
where change can be welcomed.
ECO HOMES:
‘Healthier home attracts healthier life’ and there is no denying to this fact, so here are some
simple yet impactful ideas to create healthy and ecofriendly homes
A. Utilize the natural light in daytime as far as possible.
B. Replace age old bulbs with LEDs that help in reducing the carbon footprint.
C. Research about your next appliance and its impact on environment, so to
consciously purchase a better and ecofriendly option.
D. Create your very own roof top garden.
E. Make a bee house!
F. Repair or replace (as necessary) the old washing machines and dishwashers to
reduce wasteful water consumption.
G. Yet another ecofriendly measure can be, to install solar panels that will save you
quite some bucks on the next electricity bill.
H. Purchase organic and chemical free products including cosmetics, toiletries,
detergents.
I. Separate the garbage into bio -degradable and non-bio-degradable bins and dispose
accordingly.
J. Create your own eco-hour or eco-day where you can turn off your energy
consumption for the stipulated time.
HEALTHY KITCHEN:
‘Eat fresh, eat near’, it is something we can all live by or at least try to, where kitchen can directly be related to our health, it becomes vital to be mindful of the following
A. More emphasis can’t be laid on, going organic by buying or even better, growing chemical free vegetables and fruits, that induce growth and healthier eating.
B. Avoid purchase of veggies or other food products that use unnecessary plastic packaging.
C. Go Local! Purchase from a nearby vegetable vendors and local businesses that will be lighter on your pocket and also be wholesome on the diet as nothing beats eating fresh.
D. Build a small composting station for your vegetable residue and other leftovers from cooking that will reduce your waste as well as work as a chemical free manure.
E. Buy in bulk and store it in reusable containers rather than adding to pile of waste on every small purchase especially on non-perishable grains and such.
F. Reuse the water left from cooking into watering your roof top garden (REMEMBER?)
G. Avoid the single use plastics like straws, plastic cutlery, polybags, plastic bottles instead, use metal and bamboo straws and cutleries, in fact, you can even carry them to your next dine-out.
MINDFUL SHOPPER:
‘Smart is the new cool’, and using this smartness while shopping is pretty essential to save
oneself from falling into the trap of negative consumerism, so next time you step out to
shop keep a reminder on these
A. Numero Uno! CARRY A TOTE BAG, its not fancy, we get it, but neither is dying in pile
of plastic!
B. Buy products that use minimum to no plastic packaging and also to be even more
mindful, avoid unnecessary hustle of shipping of goods that are readily available
locally that will not only benefit your savings but also, reduce the CO2 emissions
caused by cargo.
C. Again, goes without saying, support local businesses.
D. Buy natural and organic goods, a little research is always helpful.
E. Save yourself from the never-ending cycle of fast fashion, rather be cautious of your
fashion choices.
F. If you are much of a reader, buy secondhand books or read at a library or buy an ebook.
G. Buying a gift? Surprise them with a sapling!
H. Don’t forget to carpool to your nearest shopping center or even take a walk.
It may all sound overwhelming but one step at a time makes it easy, it is not expected of you
to be a ‘sustainable guru’ in a day but be a ‘sustainable learner’ so as to become the part of
ecosystem rather than being a mindless master!
