One of my friends once told me "To be sustainable you have to give up on a lot of things" and that sentence stuck with me for a while.
Mostly because I know that it is not true!
Being sustainable involves making some changes but not all of them mean that you are losing something. In this blog I will show you how you can gain a lot when you embrace a sustainable lifestyle and have fun at the same time.
Here are 11 fun things you can do to help our planet.
Do a Beach Clean-up
Beach Clean Ups are fun! Who doesn’t like to spend a nice morning at the beach?
The main goal of a beach clean-up is to collect beach trash to make the beach a nicer, safer place and also to improve the coastal and ocean ecosystem.
Take a group of friends to help you and go for a nice surf session or a well-deserved lunch together after. The right people will be happy to join you for sure.
If you are in Bali we recommend contacting One island One Voice Organisation
https://www.oneislandonevoice.org
If you are somewhere in Europe contact the amazing people from Surf Rider
https://surfrider.eu/en/
Plant a tree
Get your hands dirty and plant a tree.
It can be a really small tree. Any tree counts!
Trees are vital. As the biggest plants on the planet, they give us oxygen, store carbon, stabilise the soil and give a home to the world's wildlife.
Do it with your friends, your loved ones or even alone.
As you see that tree growing, you will help the planet and your heart will be filled with pride.
In Portugal you can contact Plantar Uma Arvore Org
https://plantarumaarvore.org
Grow your own food
It is so much fun to grow your own food!
Some of the easiest “beginner friendly” edibles are Bell Peppers, Herbs, Blackberries and Raspberries, Cabbage or Cucumbers. Have fun learning about the different methods to grow these vegetables and create your own vegetable empire.
Use your bicycle more often
This one is pretty obvious right? Most of us have bicycles at home but the comfort of using the car most of the time speaks louder.
Whilst using your bicycle you will be more in contact with our city, the nature, the people around you.
It's amazing the amount of people I meet and greet while riding my bicycle. I really feel that my day starts a lot better every time I take my bicycle to work. My body starts to move early, the freshness of the air and nature help me waking up and I am in a better mood just because I say hello to a few of the neighbours.
Why don’t you challenge your loved ones, friends or even a colleague from work to join you in a “1 week only bicycle challenge”?
The planet and your body will be grateful.
Make a yard sale
Yard sales are awesome!
First, you will connect with your friends and neighbours.
Second, you will get rid of a bunch of things you don’t use anymore that are just using space in your house and in your mind.
Third, give your belongings a second life.
Last but not least, you can make some money!
Connect with a local farmer
There’s nothing better than buying directly from the source.
Advantages?
Usually, cheaper prices, fresh vegetables and if you are lucky you might even get a free tour around the farm to see how the whole process is done. Nothing feels better than knowing and understanding how your vegetables end up in front of you.
Sell your clothes in a second-hand market and invest in yourself
Upcycling is an important part of sustainability.
With the money you will get from selling your old clothes you can do something amazing. Invest in yourself!
What does this mean? Here are some ideas!
Get active
Get a subscription for an online activity like Yoga, Pilates or a monthly pass to your local Gym.
Invest in your artistic side
Write a book, paint or learn how to play an instrument. All these materials can be quite expensive and maybe you can afford them by selling something you don’t use anymore.
Invest in your own education
Learn a new language, cooking lessons or take an online course.
You can do online courses nowadays that will improve your skills for amazing prices!
Travel
Book a trip using only the money you got from selling your old clothes. I wonder if you have enough old clothes to afford that trip to Paris you always wanted?
Transform old clothes into new garments.
For example, a dress you don’t wear can be turned into a top and skirt. How many new pieces of clothes can you make?
The leftovers, offer them to a mechanic nearby. He will appreciate it.
Start composting
If you have a garden at home, you should be familiar with composting already.
Composting is a win-win activity that will allow you to reuse kitchen food scraps and garden waste into fertile soil for your plants or growing vegetables.
If you have a garden at home and looking forward to knowing a bit more about composting check out https://compostnow.org and get started with your own composting tomorrow.
Volunteer
Most volunteer programs focus on economical, social and climate crisis. Being part of one volunteer program will hugely our planet and you at same time!
Volunteering can be a good contribute to improve our self-confidence, self-esteem, and life satisfaction. While volunteering you are doing good for others and the community, which provides a natural sense of accomplishment. Your role as a volunteer can also give you a sense of pride and identity.
Not mentioning that a lot of volunteer programs include really nice activities, group exercises and can be done anywhere in the world!
Make your own hydroponics system
Ok, this one is definitely my favorite!
How cool is it to be able to make your own futuristic, sustainable, minimal space, fresh veggies garden?
"But ok Tiago, what is Hydroponics? It looks like some futuristic, crazy expensive gardening trend that requires an engineering course to do."
Nope, that's wrong.
Basically, Hidroponics is the art of cultivation plants without using soil. The nutrient-rich water runs trough a circuit of water and spreads the nutrients through all the plants in the system.
It allows you to use less space considering that you can build it vertically, uses 90% less water than normal soil planting and will grow your vegetables faster.
Here is an example of an homemade Hidroponic system.
There's no excuse for why we cannot have a more sustainable lifestyle. Sometimes it all depends on the way we look at it. Some small changes have a huge positive impact on the planet and in our lives!
Let me know in the comment box which changes you did that helped our planet and improved your life at the same time or let me know if you implemented any of these ideas in your life.
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