Busting The Top 7 Sustainability Myths
Sustainability is a hot topic worldwide at the moment. However, there might be some myths that are stopping you from adapting to a more sustainable lifestyle.
We at Project Nord are all for sustainable living, and want to share some facts with you! Keep reading to find out what incorrect assumptions you’ve been holding and use this information as a motivation to live a life that is kind towards our planet!
By the way, because we care about our planet, we plant a tree for every poster bought. Decorate your home while also doing a good deed for the planet!
Sustainability 101
The reason that sustainability is such a hot topic at the moment is because of undeniable climate change that the human lifestyle has led to. Sustainability focuses on meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. In order to limit our impact on the planet, as well as to take care of the future generations and their well being on planet Earth.
Our planet is heating up and the consequences are already showing. All that we can do now is to put our effort into leaving an as little ecological footprint as possible, so that our home, planet Earth, can sustain life for as long as the sun shines.
Now that we understand how important it is to engage in a sustainable lifestyle, let’s bust the popular sustainability myths that are stopping many from walking the sustainability path!
1. Sustainability is expensive.
Many people believe that a sustainable lifestyle is expensive and not worth it. However, that is not the case. Yes, it might seem like sustainable purchases wear a higher price tag. Yet, higher quality clothing will last a lot longer than a fast fashion items. In the long term, it is a win for the planet and for your wallet. In addition, doesn’t it just feel better to wear high-quality clothing, rather than fast-fashion pieces that you might buy only because of the low price tag?
Another example is using your own reusable water bottle. It might seem tough to part your cash for something as simple as a water bottle, but it really does make a difference! Just think about all the plastic bottles you've used over the years. All that waste gone if you make a little investment.
Companies are creating beautifully designed bottles, even ones that keep your drink cold or hot for many hours. They can get pricey. However, a long-lasting water bottle can save a decent sum of money in the long run. Again, it isn’t only good for you money-wise, but it also helps to reduce the plastic waste, as you just don’t need to purchase any more plastic bottles. As simple as that!
Sustainable lifestyles might seem expensive, because many of the products that are made for this sort of living are better made and, therefore, more pricey. However, these decisions are money-saving machines in the end! Here you go, the myth is busted!
2. One person can’t change anything.
Imagine this: we're in an imaginary town. A young woman is grocery shopping. She is considering whether to put her fruit into a plastic bag. She is thinking that just her choice at the given moment will not change much, as it’s only her that’s making the decision. On a larger scale, there are a thousand more grocery shops in the 100-kilometre radius of the imaginary town. At every shop, there is a person making the same decision, whether to use a single-use plastic bag to bring home a piece of fruit. If they all think that they, alone, will not change much, the number of plastic bags used will be at least 1000. At the same time, if they all make the decision that they can make a change, a decent amount of plastic waste would be avoided!
One person can change more than they think. Every step on the sustainability journey makes a difference. Take action today, tomorrow and always!
You are the change!
3. Being a vegan is a must
It is alarming that the agricultural industry is one of the main contributors to climate change. However, the incorrect assumption that you must be a vegan in order to implement a sustainable lifestyle is scaring people away from the whole idea of sustainability. Similarly as discussed in the previous paragraph, even one person’s decision not to consume meat for even a single day a week is still better than keeping up the old habits.
Yes, veganism is considered as the most sustainable diet, and so it would be a sustainable decision to engage with it at any level. However, there are no obligations to make such a drastic jump. Take the smaller steps in the right direction and see where it leads you! Moreover, veganism is not the only sustainable decision you can make. Do what works for you!
If you need a little reminder to eat green, take a look at our botanical and plant posters and display them near your kitchen at your home! You will see how it will improve the chances of preparing a plant-based rather than animal-sourced meals for you and your loved ones!
4. Recycling is solving everything
Does recycling come to mind when thinking about a sustainable lifestyle? Good. It's a great part of it. However, it's not all of it and it's definitely not the solution.
What is the solution, you might ask? Less consumption! Yes, recycling is a great process that helps us deal with the waste that's already on the planet together with us. However, why not start from a different perspective and produce less waste from the beginning, so there is even less to recycle? Recycling is great, however alone it is not able to solve the problem. The impact is in the hands of the people and their day-to-day decisions.
5. Reusable bags are saving the world
Many cities around the world are banning the use of plastic bags. Hurray, right? Well, as it turns out, not so much. The impact on the environment of production of tote bags might actually leave a bigger impact on our planet than the plastic bags.
As turns out, cotton bags must be reused thousands of times before they meet the environmental performance of plastic bags! Of course, cotton bags will not float around oceans for hundreds of thousands of years; however, during the production process tote bags are more harmful to the planet than plastic bag production.
What to do about it? Once getting a reusable cotton bag, use it as long as possible and try to avoid getting new ones along the way!
By the way, you can use these nature posters in your interior design as a reminder to live a planet-friendly lifestyle! Also, Project Nord plants a tree for every poster bought, so make the green choice today!
6. Sustainability means lowering the standard of living
It might appear as if when a person wants to live more sustainably, the standard of living is expected to go down. Well, let me tell you, that is definitely a myth. If anything, it only increases the quality of your life. Your purchases become more thoughtful, higher quality and therefore longer lasting.
With less unnecessary purchases you will bring less clutter to your home. The goods that you own bring more happiness into your life. How could quantity beat quality? It cannot. Therefore, sustainable living means improving your standard of living and at the same time takes care of the planet.
7. You have to live a perfectly sustainable lifestyle, otherwise it doesn’t count for anything
In this day and age, it would be extremely difficult to be perfectly sustainable, early impossible in fact! However, people should still engage with sustainability.
Because of how the world is around us today, it would be difficult to leave no ecological footprint throughout our lives. Yet we can definitely try our best.
Even the smallest things matter. Like discussed before, every effort by every person counts.
People have made a huge negative impact on our planet. We, humans, have made so much of everything, that the climate changes are not completely reversible anymore. Yet, we still have the chance to improve the situation and it is in our hands to take action. Don’t be scared off by a lifestyle change that actually improves not only the planet but also your everyday life.
Written by Maija Jekabsone
Images sourced from Pinterest and the Project Nord website.