Considered Living

What does living sustainably & treading lightly on this Earth look like for you?

Sustainability looks different for everyone depending on where you live. Perhaps it's conserving water because you don't get much rain, or farming in a way that limits soil erosion. Trying to be kinder to the Earth is not about perfection, judgement or fancy keep cups. I think any efforts to make positive changes for our natural environment should be applauded and encouraged.

Do what you can, with what you have.

I also acknowledge that not everyone has the same access or abilities.

It’s about being kind to the planet, however you are able, even if that’s just using up every part of a vegetable to avoid food waste or conserving water and electricity.

Working with our communities to set up more circular or sharing economies, voting for people who care about people planet & advocating systemic change are all *hugely important* and yield real, lasting results. On a smaller scale, in places where waste management is terrible and garbage lines the streets and waterways, helping individuals set up small veg patches for the community or giving women menstrual cups are practical ways to lessen waste.

As a term, "zero waste" is misleading because no one can ever truly generate no waste. We use the term “zero waste” because there is a lot of great content available under that term and a wonderful community too. I love how Litterless says it’s about progress, not perfection. It isn’t just about pretty jars either. For me (currently based in London) this lifestyle means:

1.

PRODUCING AS LITTLE WASTE AS POSSIBLE BY:

avoiding single use packaging, especially plastic
using reusables & refilling old containers
composting food scraps
avoiding food waste
buying any food I can loose, in bulk & storing in jars for longevity
if necessary, choosing items in easily recyclable packaging like aluminium or glass
only buying what I need

2.

BEING AN ADVOCATE FOR POSITIVE CHANGE:

voting for leaders who prioritise the well being of people & planet
protesting discrimination & demanding fair wages for fashion workers, factory workers, farmers etc
supporting positive community efforts
protesting & advocating for systemic changes
continuing to learn more through reading, conversations, meet-ups, short courses and documentaries & sharing what I learn with others
supporting amazing initiatives such as rewilding

3.

BEING THOUGHTFUL ABOUT MY CONSUMPTION:

buying less & choosing second hand where possible
conserving water and energy (electricity, gas etc)
avoiding products containing palm oil or tested on animals
supporting local, regenerative farmers & small businesses
researching how a product is made
eating less meat or moving to a vegetarian/vegan diet
choosing organic & fair-trade where possible

Regeneratively rather than sustainably?

An ideal goal is to live in a way that is not only kinder to Earth, but gives back. Nature does this so well. Think of how leaves fall from trees, decompose and give nutrients back to the soil, enabling new trees to grow.
So, when we compost food scraps, they give back to the soil, creating a beautiful circle. Living sustainably simply limits the damage, but regenerative processes restore things to their original state or better.

“Regenerative Agriculture is a system of farming principles and practices that increases biodiversity, enriches soils, improves watersheds, and enhances ecosystem services. Regenerative Agriculture aims to capture carbon in soil and aboveground biomass, reversing current global trends of atmospheric accumulation. At the same time, it offers increased yields, resilience to climate instability, and higher health and vitality for farming and ranching communities. The system draws from decades of scientific and applied research by the global communities of indigenous people, organic farming, agroecology, Holistic Management, and agroforestry.”
(Credit: Terra Genesis).

Get in touch

I’d love to hear from you about what living sustainably or regeneratively is in your experience and if you have any thoughts you’d like to share on this subject.

Resources