Let’s face it , our lives have become extremely wasteful – Did you know that we recently crossed an important benchmark – All the manmade things now outweigh all the living beings on the planet earth!
At Earthist.in , have curated a range of practical products that you use every day! The difference is that these products don’t create waste or hurt the planet. The very least we can do to live sustainably, on the only planet we have, is to make a better planet and make conscious and responsible choices when we buy anything.
All our products are aligned with at least one of our three sustainability pillars and that is all you need to start your own journey.
Reduce. Reuse. Rethink!
- Reduce: How many wasteful things do you buy? Things that you don’t really need? My husband at one point found it easier to buy something on Amazon than to look for it. Only after I explained how every delivery created more waste did I get him to stop and look.
- Single use plastic – A good example of what you can reduce from your life could be a plastic water bottle that will be used once. It is just 1 of 1Bn + bottles that are thrown away every day (Enough to fill 3 full-size stadiums!) – The key is to reduce any plastic from your life. Specially single use!
- Deliveries – Another thing to reduce are the deliveries – Do you realize that amount of plastic waste and useless packaging that comes along with deliveries. We used to order a lot – Food, things from amazon – As a working couple it was easier than having to go out and often cost effective as well. But new we have a rule – We order what we can’t get within 10 KMs of our house and nothing urgent. We sit on our online shopping cart for at least 10 days and 10 days later many of the things don’t look as important as they did earlier.
- Landfill fashion – Lastly, let’s talk about the age old question of want vs. need, ever since I have started wearing more sustainable I actually save up to buy high quality and better clothes that can last instead of buying bulk that end up in a landfill eventually OR buying not because I need something, but because of the discount that is being given. A simple question that I as myself before buying is ‘What happens to me if I don’t buy this? If that answer is reasonable, I still buy so this is not the end of shopping – BUT my shopping has dropped by 70% for sure
- Reuse: When was the last time you threw away packaging material, glass bottles, or old furniture? Pretty much anything can be reused and repurposed. Like us, you can even buy these ‘second life’ products – Easy on both your pocket and the planet!
- Use innovatively: ‘What all can you make you make from used bubble wrap?’ You ask, everything from small pouches to store pens, drawer lining and even coasters. The intention of reusing is often more important than the way to reuse. As they say, where there is a will, there is a way!
- DIY: What if I tell you reusing can save you money? Lots of it – We wanted the dining table and with the chairs could not find anything good and heavy set for less than 50K, 6 seats. So, we made it. Yes, we made it. Wood for the table top came from a broken cupboard, the legs were made of steel rebars left after the remodeling, the table top design came from tiles that were left over from the kitchen (of course they match) and the chairs came from a used furniture store , total was done for under 10 K! We follow a simple micro habit at home, before buying new we always look for old. Yes it takes a bit of effort but everything almost always has a better, used option available.
- Give away thoughtfully: If nothing else, one person’s garbage can be another’s gold! What you may not need and have not touched in a while can be useful for someone else. So donate with an open heart and mind. Here is my seasonal donation box (We reuse the box too)
- Rethink: Changing your lifestyle is hard, changing your entire family’s lifestyle is even harder! Through Earthist we make it simple for you to make ‘planet-friendly’ decisions and live a sustainable life. Simple swaps that you can make in your everyday life which you will not even notice – Products made of recycled paper, wood, bamboo, organic cotton, fabrics, glass. silicone and metal that replace the ones you use today and reduce the waste you create tomorrow. Here is how you can start to rethink:
- Hold yourself and others accountable: Its NOT okay to use plastic, it is banned in many cities – so refuse to buy from stores that still use it. Every shopkeeper loves buyers but when they lose sales over not keeping fabric bags , they will automatically stop keeping plastic.
- Buy sensibly: There is no need to go buy eco-friendly products for your entire house right away. Simply replace everything with eco friendly options when you HAVE TO buy it next time. So keep using the plastic containers you have till you can and the next time you buy something, make that decision count. Remember, Bamboo and hemp are very sustainable because they are fast to grow, followed by wood, glass and metal. Plastic just simply is not!
- Commit to the cause: I started earthist because I wanted to be able to be sustainable and buy sustainable. There just were no good options. As the scale of the movement rises, sustainable supply chains and delivery options will also emerge. Until then, we have to lead the way, As soon as our car gives away or falls below the pollution norms, we will scrap it and move to an electric vehicle. We have made this choice already – What is choice you will commit to?
Complete the statement ‘To be an Earthist, I commit to…’ and let me know in the comments. Top entries get to shop at really special rates !