Have you ever felt worried about the current condition of our earth? Increasingly severe pollution, extreme climate change, and various other environmental damages are becoming issues of increasing concern. Amid this situation, a concept emerged sustainable living or a sustainable lifestyle that offers solutions to preserve the earth.

Understanding Sustainable Living

Sustainable living doesn't always mean living in moderation or even lacking everything, a sustainable lifestyle means enjoying the resources you have now while preserving the environment for future generations. This lifestyle is often equated with a minimalist lifestyle, even though the two are different.

A minimalist lifestyle focuses on reducing the items owned, meanwhile, sustainable living focuses on the efficient use of natural resources. One form of action is sustainable living such as avoiding excessive energy use, recycling waste, and choosing environmentally friendly products.

The Importance of Sustainable Living

The main focus of sustainable living is sharing resources with future generations. That's right, sustainable living ensures environmental sustainability and the availability of natural resources in the future.

Sustainable living also limits the waste we produce every day. Based on data from the National Waste Management Information System from the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, the amount of waste produced in 2023 will reach 13,888,161 tons per year, but only around 51.93% of waste will be handled. This can be a threat to health if not handled properly. Choose a lifestyle sustainable meaning doing our part to solve the waste problem.

Sustainable living is not just about saving the earth, but also benefiting yourself and others. With this lifestyle, we can save money, live healthier, and help build a better future.

Try These 5 Tips to Start Sustainable Living

Starting an eco-friendly lifestyle doesn't have to be complicated or expensive. Try these 5 effective tips to apply in everyday life:

1. Reduce Plastic Use

An easy first step is to reduce the usage of plastic disposables. As one of the biggest environmental pollutants, single-use plastics such as plastic bags, plastic drinking bottles, and plastic straws are very difficult to decompose in the soil. Use environmentally friendly alternatives such as cloth bags, stainless steel drinking bottles, and paper straws.

2. Apply Reuse Concept 

As much as possible, always reuse the products we have. Applying this concept in everyday life helps us to be more aware of the value or use of an item before throwing it away. Apart from reducing the amount of waste, the concept of reuse will form a mindset that will help us to appreciate goods and things more to help us save money.

3. Sort Waste and Recycle

Sorting waste and recycling are two inseparable steps. Divide the two trash bins in your house into organic and non-organic waste to make the recycling process easier. You can also start making compost with organic waste at home.

4. Buy Local and Sustainable Products

When shopping, choose local and sustainable products. Make sure the product is produced in an environmentally friendly manner and uses safe ingredients. You can also buy used or preloved products to reduce waste.

5. Use Environmentally Friendly Transportation

If possible, choose environmentally friendly transportation such as walking, cycling, or using public transportation. You can also use private vehicles economically, such as carpooling, or switch to low-emission vehicles such as electric cars. 

Apply sustainable living by simple things that you can do at home, it doesn't have to be complicated and expensive. With the small steps above, you have contributed to preserving the earth. Let’s start implementing sustainable living and create a greener future for the earth and future generations.