10 Sustainable

New Year's Resolutions

The transition to living a more sustainable lifestyle doesn’t happen overnight and no one can ever really do it “perfectly”. We have put together 10 simple steps to get you started in living with the well-being of our planet and ecosystems in mind.

01 Become a Conscious Consumer

Living a sustainable lifestyle doesn’t end with getting rid of unnecessary items and switching out your home’s essentials for new ones. It continues with being conscious of what you’re purchasing, and how it’ll impact your life and your goal towards a sustainable lifestyle.

Our everyday decisions have a real impact on the environment. How and what you choose to buy with your money, cast a vote for businesses and products you support. Shop consciously.

02 Shop from Zero Waste Stores

South Africa has a growing number of zero waste stores, where you can bring your own containers to refill on your favourite ingredients.

A lot of our essential items such as cereals, sugar, grains, shampoo, cleaning detergents come in single use plastic packaging. Cutting down on your plastic consumption is one
of the most important sustainable choices you can make.

Shopping from Zero waste store will also lessen your carbon footprint because you can buy in bulk too, making it cheaper.

Read our zero waste store guide here!

03 Cut down on Animal Products!

Consider going vegan or vegetarian once a week or substitute one meal a day with a plant-based meal. One of the best places to explore vegan food is to go to a vegan market, we highly recommend The Vegan Goods market if you’re in Cape Town.

04 Switch to Clean Beauty.

The beauty industry is one of the worst polluters, both with plastic and chemicals. Most conventional skincare and makeup come in single use plastic tubes, containing formulas with parabens, silicones, phthalates, coal tar, and more. None of which should be touching our skin or going into our waterways.

We recommend switching to sustainable skincare, You can find AMAZI BEAUTY which is plastic free and contains natural ingredients that are sourced in Africa. Keep your bathroom essentials to a minimal by using natural handmade soaps, Shea butter, natural deodorant and plastic free toothpaste.

05 Shop Second Hand

There is a lot of clothing that is filling up thrift stores, charity shops, our own closets and ultimately landfills. Instead of buying new try (1) Shopping from your own closet because YES! you do have something to wear. (2) Swap clothes with a friend or family. (3) Shop from second hand clothing store. These are few of the best ways of recycling fashion – wear what already exists.

06 Invest in Plastic Free Kitchen Tools

The kitchen is where we generate waste, through our shopping habits. It is necessary to avoid single-use plastics and swap them for reusable, composable products. Eco-friendly and sustainable substitutions abound and are becoming more plentiful every day, as people are reaching a greater place of concern for the environment.

The goal of going plastic-free, whether in the kitchen or the entire household, is not something that needs to be achieved overnight.In fact, it is better to go slow and use wisely what you already have, rather than invest in a whole new zero-waste replacement set.

Shop our Zero Waste Kitchen Kit here

07 Add Biodiversity to your Outdoor

Whether you have a lawn or a terrace, growing your own herbs, vegetables, and flowers is a wonderful thing to do for the planet (and yourself). By turning your outdoor space into a colorful green wonderland, you are not only cutting down on your need to go out and buy produce, but you are also helping all your local insects. Butterflies and bees alike are both responsible for pollinating our plants, and their unique roles ensure a balance is kept in their food chains and within the natural environment. By supporting your local pollinators, you are supporting the health of the Earth too.

08 Shop Small, Shop Local.

Now more than ever we need to be supporting local economy. This is partly why we offer a selection of South African brands. We really encourage you to be thoughtful about most of the purchase you make. Do a little research before spending your money, from buying clothing, furniture, food, beauty products etc, you’ll also be reducing your carbon footprint.

09 Educate Yourself!

The most basic (but important) act that anyone can do is to continuously educate ourselves. Learning more about not only what our planet is facing but what we can do about it is one of the most powerful ways to change the minds and habits of millions of people. By educating yourself, you can have informed and meaningful conversations with friends and family to spread important messages about climate change and sustainability. Knowledge is power!

Get our Ebook, an easy to read Zero waste book.

10 TAKE IT ONE DAY AT A TIME

Starting your journey to sustainable living takes time and lots of practice. We urge you to take it one day at a time, find a method that suits you and your family best. Ask questions, join groups, follow educational pages but don’t give up. We wish you a Happy New Year and Halala! for embarking on planet friendly journey, reach out to us for any questions.