How can you make sustainable and environmentally friendly decisions?

You could challenge yourself and be confronted with your behaviour and choices. A challenge can be to try to live without the use of plastics for a week. You can’t buy any thing that is in plastic. It is hard to do, harder still as you imagine. After one week you will notice (unnecessary) plastic everywhere. Same goes for use of the car, if you set yourself the goal to take the bike anytime your destination is within 8km from the house. You notice how you usually decide. If you really want to make changes in your behaviour, it needs to at least give you new insights. So setting challenges that you can monitor and score yourself makes the process more fun and also more real.

A very simple way to audit your home and assess consumption in zones - kitchen, closets and other areas. This will help in understanding our consumption patterns.

Personal challenges can be quite eye-opening. For instance you could commit to throwing no food in the garbage for one week. You will quickly see just how much food you are wasting.

Assessing one's impact provides a tangible baseline from which you can measure your progress, making the journey toward eco-consciousness less overwhelming and more actionable. Using specific tools offers a structured approach to self-evaluation. It's akin to having a diagnostic report before starting a treatment plan. By addressing this crucial step, you empower individuals to approach sustainability from an informed standpoint, allowing them to target areas of significant impact and encouraging a more comprehensive, holistic embrace of environmentally friendly practices. As a seasoned public speaker might say, "Awareness is the first step toward meaningful change."

Any easy way to reduce your impact is to refuse any disposable food dishes or utensils. Do not allow paper plates or napkins, plastic utensils, or plastic cups in your house. And refuse them whenever you get food to go.

Once you audit your house , sort out plastic bags, cans, clothes, utensils. Clothes can be sent to various NGOs who can utilise it. Plastic waste can too be segregated.

We all must understand that sustainable choices aren't just about large-scale changes but can also be implemented through daily, manageable actions. . For example, can the materials be printed on recycled paper? Can we use less toxic markers but more environmentally friendly markers in our training?

The trajectory of the climate crisis may be the greatest challenge we as humans ever face. We all have a responsibility and power to create positive change. By examining our choices, we’re able to identify where we can be more environmentally-friendly. I try to find sustainable brands for the products I buy and avoid single-use plastics. This crisis can be saddening and frustrating. With commitment and follow-through, we can create a better world for future generations.

Promise yourself that you will wear each piece of clothing atleast 20 times before discarding. Instead of plastic jars and bottles, buy steel and glass jars.

This holistic approach to sustainability encompasses both personal choices and external support, and paints a comprehensive picture of what it means to be truly environmentally conscious. One thing I would add is the concept of 'greenwashing,' where companies may present themselves as more eco-friendly than they genuinely are, so readers are encouraged to do thorough research and not take brand claims at face value. Just an idea.

The pursuit of sustainable choices can be greatly amplified through shared experiences with like-minded individuals. Not only does this foster a nurturing environment for personal growth, but it also cultivates a wealth of knowledge, resulting in more impactful actions. Having said that, it's important to acknowledge the potential for learning from mistakes or challenges in the realm of sustainability. Given the intricacies of this field, it's natural to occasionally make less-than-ideal decisions. However, by reframing these moments as valuable learning opportunities rather than setbacks, the community can actively contribute to this growth mindset.

Several NGO‘s, like the Ocean Movement that battle plastics to not end up in the oceans, have a List with tips and challenges you can set for yourself or your houshold.