5 easy steps to living simply
Sometimes the steps to living a simple life can seem complicated. Where do you start? What do you prioritise? What really is important?
One of the best quotes I came across while researching my book Still: The Slow Home was by zero-waste chef Anne-Marie Bonneau. To paraphrase her:
The world doesn’t need a handful of people embracing simple living perfectly, but millions living these ideas imperfectly.
In the book I used these words in relation to slow living, but you can enter almost any phrase within the sentence and it rings true.
We should be wary of thinking in binary terms of right and wrong. Instead, shift the focus to making an effort, and progress. Here are some easy ways to live simply:
1. Consume less
One of the biggest takeaways I got from researching from my book about slow living was that we just need to consume less. Full stop. In just a couple of generations we have gone crazy consuming much more than we need. So before you worry about the difference between ethical and sustainable goods, which energy provider you should select, or if it’s better to buy produce from a market stall or grow your own (not as obvious as you might think), consume less. Less resources are used in making, shipping and disposing of the goods.
Before you buy anything, ask these questions:
Do I really need it? — And can you borrow, rent, repair or repurpose something else? Can you buy second-hand? So many resources go into making something new. Concrete is a prime example. Did you know about 8% of the world’s CO2 emissions come from concrete. Also, if concrete were a country it would be the 3rd largest emitter in the world behind China and the US.
Is it good quality? — Does the product come with a warranty? Can it be repaired, passed on or resold? We own a Gaggia espresso coffee maker, which was passed on to us from my mum. We have had it for about eight years and a couple of times we have been able to buy a new part and simply fix it rather than sending it to landfill. Always look for goods that can be repaired, and live a second life, and longer.
Will it end up in landfill? — What will happen to anything you buy at the end of its life? Can it be recycled? Can it be repurposed in some way? Consider what happens to synthetic pillows and quilts at the end of their life: they will just end up as landfill. There’s always a price to pay.
2. Shop local
One of the most effective countermeasures to globalisation is to shop local. It’s not just a cute catchphrase but an economic strategy that Helena Norberg Hodge talks about in her TED talk on The Economics of Happiness.
“Economic localisation is the key to sustaining biological and cultural diversity — to sustaining life itself. The sooner we shift towards the local, the sooner we will being to heal our planet, our communities and ourselves.”
Shop at farmers’ markets.
Buy from your local book store.
Support local brands and businesses.
Buy Australian made (or insert your country).
Buy local plants & seedlings.
Eat at local cafes and restaurants that source local produce.
3. Reduce waste
A huge amount of resources go into packaging and materials that aren’t necessary. When so much of the world has switched to online shopping, it’s important to ensure that convenience doesn’t create a bigger problem than we’re equipped to handle. A recent article in the NY Times The Cotton Tote Crisis shows a cotton bag needs to be used 22,000 times (or once a day over 54 years) to offset the impact of its production. The solution? You don’t always need a cotton tote — see point 1: consume less. Also, point 2: shop local, and you will be less likely to need a tote, or you can carry your own.
Be a conscious consumer and consider these ideas to reduce waste:
Purchase goods with less packaging — Support businesses that use less packaging, opt out of packaging, and let brands know if they’re using too much. Also, within the home opt for soap bars instead of liquid soap in plastic bottles, and detergent in cardboard boxes rather than plastic containers. Recycle the packaging fillers of soft plastics. Buy in bulk when you can.
Say no to packaging in shops — Carry your own tote or bag not just when grocery shopping. Say “no, thank you” when someone offers you a bag in a clothing or book store too. Even paper bags have a carbon footprint. And we don’t always know where it was made (offshore?) and if recycled materials were used. Was the paper FSC too? What were the working conditions of the people who made it? If it has any type of logo or branding, what types of inks were used? How was the waste disposed of? The more you learn about what goes into the manufacturing process, the more it makes you question everything you have in your home. Even to recycle a paper bag uses up resources, and creates its own carbon footprint — from the fuel used by the truck to collect it from your kerb to the resources that is required to pulp and recycle the materials.
Push back on the supply chain — If you have a business of any kind push back on your suppliers if they are not doing the right thing. If they are using too much plastic in their packaging, ask if they can use something else. Bubble wrap can be replaced with recycled paper or biodegradable biofill which is made from corn starch rather than petrochemicals.
4. Eat more veggies
Did you know that we eat twice as much meat as we did 30 years ago? It has a huge impact on carbon emissions and water usage, not to mention the physical waste it produces too. Think about it — there is the methane gas released from cows, oil burned from taking them to market, electricity to keep the meat cool, gas used to cook it and energy required to plough and harvest the fields to grow the crops that the animals eat. Plus, there’s the packaging that’s required for the food too. And deforestation to clear land for livestock has its own set of issues too.
Here are some of the environmental benefits of a vegetarian diet:
— It requires 2.5 times less the amount of land needed to grow food compared with a meat-based diet.
— According to a UN report, raising animals for food generates more greenhouse gases than all the cars and trucks in the world combined.
— A vegetarian diet helps prevent further pollution of our waterways and oceans. Animal waste, antibiotics, fertilisers and pesticides are all by-products in waterways of livestock farming.
— Reducing your meat intake also helps reduce the destruction of wildlife habitats & endangered species. Deforestation destroys the natural habitat of native species of birds and wildlife.
5. Be more energy efficient
There are many ways we can be more energy efficient within our homes. We all know about the importance of turning off and unplugging lights and electrical devices, as well as appliances when not in use. But also consider some of these simple ideas:
Dry your clothes on a washing line — Making the most of the sun and wind are the best way to dry your clothes — smells good too. Only use a dryer when absolutely necessary.
Move yourself to a sunny spot — If it’s cold indoors instead of putting on the heaters, find a sunny spot. Often in winter I work at my dining table as it’s a much warmer spot than the office.
Cool your home naturally — Make the most of a cross breeze, window treatments such as curtains and blinds to keep rooms cool during the hottest months.
Layer your home — During winter layer your home with warm textiles. Add rugs to the floor, sheepskins in the bed (we all sleep on them instead of electric blankets), and wool blankets. Wear wool thermals too rather than turning on heating.
Insulate your home — Save money and energy by insulating your home. If your place is older, insulate underfloor too so gusts of cold air don’t blow into your rooms.
Use solar power — Not only can we save money, but help the environment too. Just one hour of midday summer sun in the US is equivalent to the US electricity demand in one year. It’s also a way to add value to your home. There’s also the option of selling your unused power back to the grid too.
The most important step is the first one.
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