Sustainability is everyone's responsibility

"Someone will have to do something"

There is a fundamental connection between sustainability and decluttering. Sustainability means to not overuse resources (which unfortunately we already do), but it also could be seen in the context of being sustainable within your own life, by not holding on to more than you need, stock more than necessary, and reuse/repurpose whatever you can.

So, ultimately, “keeping it down” will keep you from clogging up your space without compromising on luxuries.

Much of what we store are items that are meant for single use. Just look around in your home: cleaning products in plastic bottles, plastic packaging of single-use paper towels, and shopping packaging on top of it all.

And that is without even considering all the things we buy that used to be made out of more sturdy materials: plastic kitchen utensils rather than big wooden spoons to agitate your pasta, plastic cutting boards when wooden ones do just fine, clothes made from flimsy fabrics, children’s toys seem to be made of plastic most of the time, and so on…

We won’t change the world in a hot minute, but here are little things we can do to make a small difference as individuals:

When you go grocery shopping, make sure to take reusable containers or bags with you. Foldable plastic crates in the car are great and don’t take up space when not in use, and fabric bags are longer-lasting than plastic ones and they can be washed. It’s just a matter of planning ahead (I always have a shopping bag on me when I go out, you never know).

Paper towels and cleaning wipes in the kitchen are quick and easy to deal with little spills, but how many of those do you regularly use? While I see the benefit in some cases, most of the time a cloth towel or rags made from old clothes can be used and dried afterwards. PS: if you are using paper towels to wash your windows, try using vinegar and old newspapers to avoid paper fluff.

Disposable water bottles are another scourge of the environment: they decompose into microplastics on the landfills, but also they release chemicals into the water if you keep using the same bottle for an extended period of time. Stick to stainless steel or glass bottles – but make sure you can properly clean them!

There are many more items to consider, like plastic drinking straws or cutlery, disposable coffee cups, plastic toothbrushes, cheap fancy dress outfits… but in the end it all comes down to one consideration: Convenience.

Ask yourself: where am I willing to compromise on convenience and limit pollution, becoming more sustainable in my own little circle? We are all aware that as a species we have to become less disruptive to nature, but it feels easier to think “someone will do something”.

Well, honey, that someone is you. And me. All of us individually.