New year's resolution for a more sustainable lifestyle

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

#1 Think twice before shopping

credit : @refillworthing

How many R's are you aware of and practicing? There may be some eco-friendly actions that you are practicing without knowing it!

At our household, we have been conscious of practicing these 4Rs.  They are:

Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

For example, we refuse plastic shopping bags (bring our own bags), bring our own bottles so we don't need to buy plastic bottles, try to choose second hand clothings, and understand how to sort garbages and we try to cherish those resources that can be recycled.

Do you know that now there are more to the 4Rs?  There are 7Rs currently. What are the 7Rs?

1. Rethink

2. Refuse 

3. Reduce 

4. Repair 

5. Reuse 

6. Repurpose 

7. Recycle 

What do you think?  Does it seem a bit more challenging and difficult?

It may seem challenging if you think about each of them in your head, but you may be surprised to know that you're already practicing some of these already without knowing it.

Next time you shop, think about these.  Do you REALLY need it? Is there a more sustainable alternative? Can you use it over and over? Is it recyclable or compostable? Just thinking about these will help you reduce waste; you save money and you also help the environment at the same time!

#2 Go Plastic Free 

Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash

Plastic Free July is a campaign led by the Plastic Free Foundation. Each year, millions of people around the globe take the challenge and choose to refuse single-use plastics. Their vision is to see a world without plastic waste.

They have great tips that can help you get! Why not try these out?

• Avoid single-use plastic packaging
• Target takeaway items (the Top 4: bags, bottles, straws and coffee cups)
• Go completely plastic-free

#3 Pay attention to certified labels 

There are many different national and international sustainability labels and certificates. They serve as checklists for companies to work towards sustainability goals and it enables clear communication for consumers. Each certification mark is a label and a label on a commercial product indicates the existence of an accepted product standard or regulation and a claim that the manufacturer has verified compliance with those standards or regulations.

Yes, it all sounds very difficult on writing, but to put it more simply, products with these certification labels have properly considered environmental conservation and labor environment such as forced labor and child labor.

What types of certification labels are there? Every certification label has its own story; who? where? for what? It's an indication for us to choose between products. 

For example, choosing Fair Trade certified goods means you're supporting sustainable production and paying laborers a fair wage. If you have kids ask them to find labeled products next time you're in the store. It's quite fun and also very educational!

#4 Choose Renewable Energy

Photo by Matthew T Rader on Unsplash

Fossil fuel is one of the best known non-sustainable resource. If you can pick your electricity supplier, choose a company that uses clean sources. In Japan there are alternatives so why not look into these? 

In our household, we have switched to "Minna Denryoku" @minden_official. 
Everyone can easily simulate on their site. Whether it's good or not depends on the household, so if you're worried, it's a good idea to check before you choose. (Four our household, switching made our bill 10-15% cheaper!)

* The best electric power company depends on the area where you live, so please check here for details:

http://power-shift.org

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How was it?  Anything you might be able to do?

There's no need to start everything at once.  Just try a little by little!

Here's to a great 2021!