Can we live more sustainably please?

Sustainable living had always seemed to me as a remote idea, something which can be read in articles and books but is difficult to adopt in our daily lives. It's quite surprising then, that over the past few years we (as a family) have found ourselves adopting more sustainable habits in our daily lives. We have found this way to be more healthy, hygienic, and less expensive. There is also a sense of doing something on our part to make the world a better place. After all, we take so much from nature when we live, breathe, eat, work, travel; the least we can do is to reduce wastage of natural resources!

I must admit that at many times, these sustainable habits are directly against our consumption mindset. Why use that old mobile phone for few more months, when a new one will hardly cost a few thousand rupees with an exchange offer? They also take some effort to develop like any other habit. Why remember to take a cloth bag for shopping every time when carry bags are so easily available? Many times, the initial investment could be higher but they pay off in the long run e.g. a steel water bottle will cost more but is much cheaper to refill and carry in the long run.

Most of the habits I am listing below are already practiced by our parents, friends, and people around us. What definitely helps is to be less judgmental about these habits and learn the good bits from them!

• Extend the useful life of things by using them for a longer timespan, taking better care of things, and repairing them if it makes sense. When trying to buy a replacement, I check the last time I bought it and how long I have used it. This usually gives me time to think about re-purchasing, preventing impulse buying.
• When buying a replacement, exchange the old product or sell it on Olx. If it doesn't make sense to sell it, donate it if it's in a usable condition.
• Regularly donate old clothes, shoes, and other such items rather than stocking them. Use torn clothes for dusting & wiping.
• Use technology to reduce wastage:
• Apps like BigBasket Daily allow us to buy vegetables and fruits daily without needing to store things. This means less wastage and more fresh food.
• With apps like BigBasket, Amazon Fresh, etc. it's possible to order groceries when needed without stocking them. This generally reduces wastage.
• Smart bulbs reduce electricity wastage(and they are becoming cheaper by the day). Switching off lights & fans when not in use works too!
• Carry a steel/glass bottle on trips and refill it rather than buying packaged drinking water.  Similarly, carry it to the office and refill it rather than using paper cups. If you are paranoid about water hygiene, there are water bottles that also purify water.
• We chose a water-saving RO purifier that reduces water wastage.
• Collect the wastewater from the RO purifier and use it for cleaning purposes and watering plants.
• Avoid carry bags. Use recyclable dustbin bags. Reuse the cartons & plastic bags from our shopping.
• Avoid wasting perishable food: fill the plate with only what I can finish eating, use recipes that utilize left-over vegetables in the fridge, feed left-overs to animals.
• Walk/cycle short distances instead of driving. Use public transport when possible.

I am sure you would already be practicing many of these sustainable habits and much more. Do share them here and with friends/family! Every bit counts in saving the earth.