A guide to sustainable living

The most sustainable way to live is to use what you already have. Nowadays there are many sustainable alternatives for daily household items or clothing. However, it is important to remember that the most sustainable option will always be to use up what you already have before replacing it with an eco-friendlier alternative. If you throw out what you already own before it has reached the end of its life to swap with a more sustainable product, it only contributes to more waste! The key is to be resourceful. Break the cycle of over consumption! You might be surprised to find how satisfying it is too.

The following is a series of checklists for an eco-habit-forming lifestyle at home and to help change the way you consume.

At home

Use bio-based, non- polluting cleaning products and washing detergents
Use reusable dryer balls and microfiber filter balls in your washing machine
Air dry your laundry
Replace toxic aerosol air fresheners with plant-based mists or soy/coconut wax candles with cotton wicks that are scented with natural oils
Make sure to turn off lights, fans, air conditionings, and heaters when leaving home
Install an off switch at your main exit door which controls all your lights and sockets
Opt for second-hand items when looking to decorate or furnish your place
Go paperless if you have access to a tablet or laptop but if you must try purchasing recycled paper, notebooks, pencils etc.—even recycled pens & markers can be found these days

In the kitchen

Unplug appliances when they are not in use
Swap paper towels and napkins for reusable fabric cloths or no-tree napkin
Replace name-brand cleaning products for natural, plant/bio-based, biodegradable, safe, non-toxic, and refillable soaps, dishwasher detergents, and countertop cleanse
Use a FULL dishwasher instead of handwashing
Never put non-disposable plastic objects in the dish washer
Turn off the heated dry setting completely and let your kitchenware air dry or dry them yourself with a cloth
Wash and save left over plastic containers and utensils from take-out meals
Purchase tin/aluminum/metal/glass/bamboo/recycled/silicone containers
Replace plastic cling wrap & aluminum foil with reusable wax wraps
Swap plastic, non-biodegradable cleaning tools, sponges, and brushes (when exhausted) for bamboo or recycled ones
Purchase “new” glassware, plates, bowls, pots, pans, and other kitchenware from second-hand stores
Replace water plastic jugs and bottles with water filters or purifiers that can be attached to your tap or in a jug
Use a vegetable saver produce bag or glass mason jars to keep produce fresh for a longer time and reduce food waste
Try to use the entire fruit or vegetable in your cooking
Save scraps for soups, stews, stocks, etc.
Compost the rest
Recycle as much as you can!

Food shopping

When food shopping, bring your own reusable shopping & mesh produce bags as opposed to paper or plastic alternatives
Opt for produce that is unpackaged and unwrapped
Select the bruised, scratched, odd-looking foods that are perfectly tasty, nutritious & not rotten, they are the ones most likely to get discarded and end up in landfills
Buy locally grown fresh food
Buy seasonally grown food
Buy organically farmed food
Try to increase the % of plant-based foods in your diet
Avoid processed foods— a challenge for plant-based diets as many vegetarian/vegan alternatives are processed
Use oat milk in preference to almond and soy (unless from a sustainable source)

On the move

Refill a reusable water bottle instead of purchasing plastic ones
Use a reusable coffee cup when ordering beverages as an alternative to disposable cups
Carry a reusable straw
Bring a set of cutleries from home if you plan on eating out and reject ones when eating out
If given disposable utensils, save whatever isn’t used instead of throwing them out, wash & reuse them at home
Minimize take-away meals
Pack food from home (in a reusable container) as an alternative to eating out or purchasing pre-packaged meals like sandwiches and salads
Put your trash in appropriate bins when you’re out

Ingredients / materials to avoid

Petroleum-derived products

Other harmful products

Leather or any kind of skins
Fur or any animal by-product
Silk
Unnatural dyes
Most fragrances unless they’re sourced naturally, like from essential oils or plants
First-hand plant products like wood that are NOT sustainably farmed/sourced (i.e. require monoculture plantations, or deforestation)

Ingredients / materials to seek

Sustainable alternatives

Aluminum – infinitely recyclable
Stainless steel
Glass
Reclaimed or organic cotton
Untreated or naturally dyed linen
Silicone
Recycled paper
Bamboo
Cork
Repurposed wood
Plant-based synthetic leather
Anything else that’s recycled, reclaimed, upcycled, is a renewable resource, not taken directly from the Earth but can be scraps from another organic or man-made product