If you want to integrate more sustainability into your everyday life and aren't sure how, then you've come to the right place. While there are plenty of ideas on how to live more sustainably, implementing them in everyday life is often a challenge. What's particularly striking is that most tips, tricks, and the like are geared towards the realities of young singles and couples in big cities, while families and small children aren't taken into account. But climate change affects us all. People have different resources at their disposal, and the everyday lives of parents in particular often leave little room to seek out a suitable, more sustainable alternative. And the fact that plastic is the ultimate enemy is not only undeniable, but arguably the biggest problem in everyday family life. That's why we have 5 tips for you on how to achieve more sustainability in your everyday life - family edition.
More sustainability in everyday life - for the sake of the environment
Droughts, record heat, smog, and floods are just some of the impacts that people's lifestyles and the behavior of companies, with all the plastic, CO2, and wasted resources, have on our environment. But the answer to the problem doesn't lie with individuals. Politicians and large companies have a duty to offer affordable alternatives for everyone. When we talk about greater sustainability in everyday life, we're by no means talking about perfection. You don't have to achieve zero waste, grow your own food, and reduce your ecological footprint to almost zero to save the planet. Rather, it's the little things in everyday life that can help make a difference. And if everyone integrates a little more sustainability into their daily lives, step by step, if everyone just adapts their behavior and lifestyle a little, that would in turn help the environment. Try starting with our tips for greater sustainability in everyday life – in small, imperfect steps.
Tip 1: Not all cars are the same
Let's be honest, especially for families in rural areas, life without a car is often simply impossible. Public transportation is almost nonexistent, and the journeys for shopping, daycare, and hobbies are too far or too dangerous to be covered by bike. And yet, you can reduce CO2 emissions by using energy instead of gasoline, for example. An electric car is significantly more sustainable than even the latest models from the conventional car industry, and the increased energy consumption can be offset by green electricity or sustainable electricity from renewable sources.
But this alternative isn't suitable for every budget. If buying a car isn't an option for you, you can of course also save a lot of CO2 by simply leaving the car at home more often. Take a trip to your local area, a day trip by train, or a picnic in the garden. This is no less exciting for the kids than a car trip and is also an important step towards protecting our environment.
Tip 2: Make secondhand first choice
Children grow incredibly fast. They've barely gone shopping before they feel like they've already reached the next size and the whole thing starts all over again. This means that items of clothing often end up in the shopping cart that are ultimately hardly worn or never worn - a waste of resources. Our tip for more sustainability in your wardrobe: quality over quantity. Opt for good fabrics such as our GOTS-certified organic cotton , timeless design and high-quality workmanship. This way, several generations can benefit from the clothing and important resources such as water and energy are saved. Our products are designed so that many children and parents can enjoy them. You can easily combine our outfits to create a capsule wardrobe. And when your child has outgrown them, you can simply resell or store the high-quality products because our beautiful pieces are gender-neutral and timeless.
Tip 3: Combating food waste in everyday life
Did you know that around 11 million tons of food end up in the trash in Germany every year? A good way to bring more sustainability into everyday life is to time your grocery shopping well and pay attention to the correct storage of fruit and vegetables. Regional, seasonal and organic products instead of cheap offers from overseas, which are the fast fashion of the food industry. Why not visit a market or farm shop together? There your child can learn firsthand where the food and their favorite fruits and vegetables actually come from and the journey they take to end up on your dining table. Save on packaging by bringing your own boxes, beeswax wraps and bags from home. This not only reduces waste, but you also send a signal that you value sustainability and everything that goes with it, and in doing so you also influence what the food industry offers.
To save more food from ending up in the trash far too soon, you can also join organizations like Foodsharing. These organizations are committed to food rescue and offer retailers the option of collecting discarded produce that's too good to be thrown away but can no longer be sold and sharing it with institutions like the Railway Mission, as well as private individuals.
Tip 4: Garbage collection parties
If you take a look around in our everyday lives, you'll discover a wealth of environmental pollution. Leftover take-out cups, carelessly discarded packaging—our environment is full of trash and garbage. Garbage plays a role in parks and playgrounds, too, in every area of our lives. A great way to teach children the importance of sustainability and conscious living is to organize a garbage collection event. Equipped with a pickaxe, gloves, and a garbage bag, you can turn it into a small competition and discuss together how to avoid pollution and the impact our actions have on our environment.
Tip 5: Consciously through everyday life
Just a quick coffee before dropping the kid off at daycare, then rushing off to work because you still have to do some quick shopping afterward – these are pretty hectic times we live in. The faster and more stressful the environment, the more likely we are to be tempted by impulse purchases and supposedly easier solutions. All the tips for more sustainability in everyday life are ultimately useless if you don't have the time to follow them. So: Make a conscious effort to take time. For yourself. For your child. For example, write a list before you go shopping to make sure you don't buy more food than you need. Bring your coffee from home instead of buying a to-go cup on the go, or at least pack your own plastic-free cup. Why not visit one of the many packaging-free stores or make the weekly market part of your daily routine.
Don't put pressure on yourself – every effort and every small step you take to become more sustainable in your daily life helps our environment. And the more sustainability you integrate into your daily life, the easier it will be for you to implement more and more tips. But even though the topic is serious and important, you should be careful not to put too much pressure on yourself and try to do too much at once. Adjust your life slowly but steadily so that you can maintain your newfound sustainability.
