Sustainability is not a simple term - it’s a mindset, a culture, a lifestyle, and one that is accessible to all, that’s the best part. Small things by all are greater than one person’s individual fight which is why sustainability runs through the full DNA of Oramai.
There are small changes that you can practice in your everyday life to help to make a difference. Here are 5 sustainable ideas.
1. Dress more consciously
The world’s addiction to fast fashion devastates wildlife and communities around the world - from the pollution caused by intensive cotton farming on people and the planet. The clothes we buy and wear can have a big impact on the world.
To help reduce this impact, choose natural, organic fibres as much as possible and buy clothes that you really love and will keep wearing.
2. Give up single use plastic
Or at least reduce it. Documentaries such as Blue Planet II and Drowning in Plastic have highlighted the vast extent of the plastic crisis and the devastating impact single use plastic is having on ocean wildlife.
Here are some simple swaps you can make at home to reduce the amount of plastic you buy and discard:
- Carry a reusable water bottle
- Stop using plastic bags, sometimes you can carry your lunch in the hands or have a handy reusable bag with you.
- Buy a big bottle of shampoo, conditioner and soap and use refillable bottles.
- When buying food, buy it without the plastic containers. Find loose tomatoes, loose carrots etc and you will see that your plastic usage reduces drastically.
3. Plant a tree
Trees help to clean our air, filter our drinking water, purify our soil and provide habitat to over 80% of the world's terrestrial biodiversity. Forests also provide jobs to over 1.6 billion people worldwide and provide key medicinal ingredients.
Today trees are under threat from climate change, urban development, pollution and attack from tree diseases and pests.
We sat down with Trees For Cities and got very inspired by their success. Why not help the planet by planting a tree? You can do this by yourself in your back garden, or easy donate to them here.
5. Eat seasonal & local produce
We met the very inspiring Farm Drop and talked how eating seasonal and local helps to reduce the environmental footprint of our food, using less energy for growing and transportation. It also helps to supports the local economy and, as seasonal fruit and vegetables are picked at their natural taste and nutritional peak, quite often tastes better too.
6. Reduce your meat intake
We spoke to Amazon Front Lines and it shows that the mayor deforestation is to make way for livestock! On top research has found that food production is a major driver of climate change and environmental damage, thanks to greenhouse gases from livestock, agricultural pollution.
Last October, scientists warned that to ward off dangerous climate change, we need to eat less meat and replace it with more plant-based foods such as beans and pulses, particularly in nations like the UK & US, where beef consumption needs to be reduced by 90%.