


Tom Sarlo
Jun 30, 2023
United States
Categories:
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Environment, Climate Change, Conservation, Consumerism
Is Minimalism Beneficial For The Environment?
The inspiration for this article comes from Roundup.org. Climate change seems to be on most people's minds these days, and the common question we ask ourselves is, "What can I do to make a difference?" Each of us plays an essential role in our lifestyle decisions that can impact the earth.
The term eco-friendly minimalist has a two-fold meaning. Being a minimalist has become a lifestyle choice around the world. There is a lesson learned in downsizing not only the material things we accumulate, the homes we live in, vehicles we drive, and items we do not use that are just sitting around. The storage industry has grown to help with everything that can't fit into our homes. Maintaining all the material things we own takes a great deal of energy, time, and cost. We often strive to weed out and make room, only to buy more stuff. The act of living as a minimalist can be uncomfortable for many people. This is a conscience action and thought that could be the catalyst in this lifestyle. When we surround ourselves with vast amounts of material things, a great starting point is to ask ourselves, "Does owning this bring me value and joy?" The answer we give ourselves to let go is much more manageable. There are many benefits on a personal level to living as a minimalist. As we go through the process, there is an awareness we gradually experience.
The conscious effort of living with less around us opens up many possibilities in our lives. Living a simpler life with less gives us more time to enjoy the outdoors, and we tend to sleep better, save money and have less stress. When there is a constant need for more, time and energy are also needed to maintain, and the cost is involved. There are many written articles about the experience of letting go of material things and the freedom of living with less. Many find the minimalist lifestyle quite liberating.
The steps and decisions we make at home and in our lives make a difference in climate change. An important finding in consumer goods and purchases is that 60% of global greenhouse gas emissions and 80% of freshwater usage originate from producing consumer products. Our choices may be small, but collectively they add up worldwide.
There are environmental benefits when choosing to live eco-friendly and as a minimalist. It's essential to understand the impact we make by our choices. Take clothing for example. We live in a throw away culture with clothing. When it wears and tears we throw it out and buy more. We often buy multiple numbers of one clothing item, such as shoes. So much clothing never gets reused or recycled because there is so much of it and it is so expensive to do so. This overconsumption accounts for up to 10% of the global greenhouse gas emissions. There is a similar overconsumption pattern with electronics, such as computers, cellular phones. printers and televisions. It can cost more to fix a computer or a printer than to buy a new one. Electronic equipment is made of plastics that are difficult to recycle. The annual carbon dioxide emissions from electronics production equals the carbon dioxide emissions for all airplane travel. (syllucid.com)
Thinking about reducing our waste that eventually ends up in landfills is a great start. Repurposing unwanted items through donation centers is a great way. For example, purchasing better-built items that last longer saves on the number of materials, shipping, and money, not to mention the carbon footprint. Reducing our waste through recycling, repurposing, and using fewer thrown-away products is a habit that will make a positive environmental impact—having consumer awareness by living with less and becoming more aware of the effects on our environment. It is much easier than we thought.
Consider getting your friends and family in on it too and create a 3-month game. Assign points for reducing, reusing and recycling consumer goods. Come together once a week, over coffee, drinks, dinner and compare notes and progress. Post a leader board up. Reward the winner at the end (not with a consumer good) with an experience of their choice, such as a dinner, horseback riding, a trip to the art museum. If the game is a success, then play it again and invite your friends to bring their friends into it too. Small successes can add up to great change.
All the efforts add up and make a difference in our world. It just starts at home with the thought that less is better.
Photo by NIK on Unsplash.
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0623.101.05.063023