When looking to live a sustainable lifestyle you might be surprised to learn that a lot of it is related to being more minimalist. By practicing minimalism you'll consume less and reduce your impact on the planet.
What is Minimalism?
Minimalism is the process of identifying what is essential in your life and having the courage to eliminate the rest.
Incorporating minimalism into your lifestyle doesn't have to be as hard as it may sound. It's not all about getting ride of everything you own and living with the bare bones of what you need. It's about adjusting your priorities to suit your lifestyle so you're not buying things unnecessarily that then end up being wasted.
Living a minimalist lifestyle by only buying what you need, when you need it, aligns with sustainability greatly as it reduces your personal waste without needing to do anything extra. By resisting buying the latest pair of jeans or phone, and instead focusing on what you already own, is a great way to live a more environmentally conscious lifestyle.
Have you ever heard the phrase, the most sustainable item is the one you didn't buy? This idea reflects the values of minimalism by instead repurposing what you already have.
Did you know, in 2020, total waste from UK households increased from 22.1 million tonnes (2019) to 22.6 million tonnes. That's equivalent to 399kg per person!
Just think of all the waste we could reduce is we practiced the principles of minimalism. Instead of consuming more, we become more appreciative of what we already own.
How to practice minimalism and sustainability?
1) Use what you already have - always look to repair, repurpose and reuse before buying new (or second hand)
2) Examine your priorities - is this something you actually need, or is it something you just want
3) Think before you buy - if it's not something you'll wear/use 30+ times is it worth purchasing
One of the key ways to live more sustainably is by consuming less so this reflects minimalism perfectly. By practicing the two lifestyles you can help lessen your individual impact on the planet and indicate to brands that consumerism and overconsumption is a lifestyle of the past!
Thank you to @little_ecotash for writing this blog with me
Hi, thank you for reading the All Things Green blog! 💚
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- Naomi x
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