By Sri Keshava, for Omkara World
Going green is a hot topic in pop culture, with a number of high profile architects and celebrities showcasing the latest and greatest in high-end, sustainable homes and lifestyles.
While most of us would love to live in the green palaces we see on television design shows and in magazines, this green elitism has most of us feeling sustainable technologies and new advances in building materials are simply out of reach, relegating us to lives inhabiting outdated toxic boxes. Until sustainable technologies infiltrate the mainstream and become less expensive, there are many ways for people from all walks of life and income brackets to incorporate sustainable practices into our daily lives.
Love the Earth
Everyone: owners and renters, in single-family homes or condos can make simple changes in living habits that will have profound long-term benefits for us individually and for the planet without giving up any of the comforts and luxuries we’ve become accustomed to.
Waste- Not
One of the most important areas of sustainability in the home concerns the amount of waste we generate. The “out of sight, out of mind” ethos resulting in overflowing landfills may be working in the short term, but it’s rather like an ostrich sticking its head in the sand to hide from a cheetah.
While advances are being made in recycling and waste disposal, these systems are both expensive to run and use large amounts of resources. The real issue is not what to do with waste, but rather how to create less of it in the first place. In a consumer culture that manically encourages us to buy more, we will set more than our wallets free by choosing to consume and waste less.
There are four main types of waste: recyclables, packaging, food and goods. Most cities have some sort of recycling program, but it’s important to know exactly what items your city recycles. Most recyclable items display a number that correlates to a method and level of recyclability. Do a search online for U.S. government information relating to available recycling programs and rules and pass it on to friends and neighbors.
Disposable diapers are a huge waste in landfills. Check out the link for tips on conquering the diaper-dilemma
Become a Bag Lady
Shopping with cloth bags and buying more whole foods than prepackaged foods can avoid a huge amount of packaging waste. Do those three apples, six oranges and two tomatoes need their own plastic bag, simply to weigh them? The cashier can easily group produce onto the scale without being in separate bags. From the hands of farm workers to transportation, we should all be washing our fruit and veggies when we get them home. A dirty conveyor belt at the register is the least of our concern.
We can all leave the store with produce loosely packed in a cloth bag.
Reuse, recycle and reduce
Food waste can be easily composted, providing rich nutrients for gardens and potted plants. There is a wide range of affordable equipment on the market, accommodating those with large open spaces to apartment dwellers with the advent of small, odor-free, self-contained composting machines. Children are naturally fascinated by nature and learning how things work. Composting is a fantastic way to foster their interest in the environment.
When it comes to ‘goods’ waste, think creatively. There are countless places to donate just about everything from computers to clothing to home demolition!
Yard sales can be a lucrative way of cutting clutter and keeping unwanted items from ending up in landfills. Where possible donate to the poor or our beloved Veterans. If clothes are too worn, they can be ripped and reused as rags. There is no reason to buy paper towels for cleaning. Think re-use rather than one-use. Discarded clothing can also be used for family art and craft supplies or quilting.
The One Week Experiment!
A simple once-in-a-lifetime experiment that will illustrate the impact of our waste on the environment involves collecting everything you would normally throw away and keeping it somewhere visible in your home for one full week. In most cases the result is sobering when we see just how much we send to landfills on a weekly basis.
Regardless of how much we work to conserve and consume less, at some point buy we must. Be concise and mindful. Assess the lifecycle of the product. How much energy was used in its creation?
Were its production methods healthy for the employees who manufactured it and for the planet? Is it healthy for you to take into your home? Do you need it? The idea is to embrace simplicity and fill our lives with real satisfaction rather than short-lived material trinkets. If we look back on our lives, truly it’s that dance, language or college class we took that has enriched our lives and not that Prada bag- and enriching our soul never reaches the landfill.
Sri Keshava
Sri Keshava
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Adam is a Reiki Master, certified health and lifestyle counselor, licensed massage therapist, 20-year practicing bramana-initiated Bhakti Yogi, spiritual advisor, visionary, jock and veteran of the “hardcore punk scene” all rolled into one. He is the founder of Omkara World and produced the mind/body fitness DVD “Intelligent Fitness."
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