A beginners guide to sustainability – Part 2

Picking up from where we left off last, I hope you were all able to reduce the use of single-use products a little bit. I've been trying too, and I'm starting to learn that good things take time!

On the days that I feel like I’m failing at this sustainability journey, or the times I’m tempted to take the easy way out, I always go back to this quote by Anne Marie Bonneau: “We don't need a handful of people doing [sustainable living] perfectly. We need millions of people doing it imperfectly."

I like to think of this sustainability series as an ongoing one, because like most of you, I too am learning new insights each day. Each day we try to shed some of the old and put on some of the new. I don’t think it’s a journey that’s ever really complete, but one where the goal is to make each day a little better than the last.

So, we got our feet a little wet last time, now let’s wade into the water a few steps further. Here’s part two!

Part 2 - Make your home/life sustainability-friendly

As an architect, I cannot emphasize enough the importance of making your home a space that enables you to be the best version of yourself, be it in terms of sustainability, health, relationships, or even mental well-being. Now, the points I’m discussing here are more on the lines of lifestyle and organizational changes, rather than architecture and design ones, because that’s too technical a topic for us to get into now.

1. Less is More - Simplify

Simplify and de-clutter your home. This almost zen process not just makes your life easier, but also helps you keep track of what you have, what you need, and more importantly, what you don’t need. A de-cluttered home makes you more aware of all your material possessions, and this helps you follow one of the key rules of sustainability, that is, “the most sustainable product is the one you didn’t buy.” So when I say de-clutter and simplify, I don’t suggest you discard everything that does not spark joy, instead, think “where can I use this in a way that it will spark joy?” If not joy, fulfillment? You always have the option to give each unused object new life in either one of these ways: donate it to someone who actually needs it, re-purpose it, give it a fix-up and sell it.

2. Pull a Monica - Organize

This is more or less a follow up to the previous point. Being organized, not just with things, but with your lifestyle as a whole, is a big advantage if you’re trying to be sustainable. Try to have an order and place for all things. My husband says I like organizing things to a level bordering on obsession. But trust me, it makes a world of difference to the efficiency of your tasks. For example, if you have your refrigerator organized, it drastically reduces the time you leave it open to find what you’re looking for, this in turn, not only saves your time, but saves a lot of electricity. Now, multiply this by the number of times you access your refrigerator in a day. This is just a small example, but the impact of organized living is quite remarkable. Make an effort to organize everything, from how you segregate your trash, to which order you use up your vegetables - ensuring minimum food wastage, to even how you do your laundry.

3. Beg, borrow, [don’t steal] - Be thrifty

The previous two points are a good foundation to ensure we do the basics - reduce, re-use & recycle. So, let me introduce you to the less famous trio: lend, borrow, thrift. There are so many platforms online or even within your community, family, or friends circle that have systems in place where you lend as kindly as you’d want to borrow. Why do we clutter our homes (or the Earth) with things we hardly ever use, maybe just a couple of times a year? This system of give-and-take also helps you sustain that human connection and sense of community in this new-age world where everything you want is just a click away. I, for example, don’t need a 10-quart pressure cooker at home, where for most of the year, I’m cooking just for two people. Even when we have company, we rarely have more than 6 or 7 people over at this tiny home of ours. So, for those rare occasions if/when I do have a gathering of more than 10-15 people, I borrow from my mom-in-law who hosts bigger crowds more often than I do. It’s as simple as that: borrow/rent stuff when you can, lend/share as much as you can. Lastly, be thrifty, buy second-hand wherever you can safely do so. There are so many options out there in this time and age. It’s good on your pocket, good for the Earth, and good for your conscience.

4. Ignorance is not bliss - Be brand conscious

I’m someone that's strongly against being brand obsessed or attaching status to the brand you use. So, when I say be brand conscious, these are the things you need to be conscious about: how ethically sourced and manufactured is the product? What is the environmental impact of the product/brand you use? Do they pay minimum wages to their laborers? Is it imported or local? (local is always better) Doing a bit of research can help you make sound decisions in terms of what you fill your home and life with. There are various online platforms that can help you do this.

5. Sow & reap - Plant some greens

This is something that’s fortunately becoming a trend in this lock-down season, and I’m so grateful there are good things coming out of these unfortunate times. Having a few plant babies, whether they are for air purifying, vegetables for consumption, or just for purely decorative reasons, makes you very conscious of the environment. You become aware of how your actions/negligence can make the difference of life and death for these beings that depend on you. Additionally, they improve air quality, support a micro-environment and in the case of vegetables/herbs/fruits you get to literally enjoy the fruit of your labor (sans chemicals and pesticides). So do good research, find out which plants are most suited to your locality and climate, and get your gardening gloves on!

Now, it may seem like a long and tedious list of things I’ve given you to consider, but trust me, it’s all quite simple once put into practice, and you’ll love yourself a little better by the end of this. I’m going to try to be better at some of these things that I preach (but don’t practice yet). I hope you all will try too!

"For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works,

which God prepared in advance for us to do."

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