From Guest Blogger Benjamin Kolenovic: Five Tips For a More Sustainable Life

Sustainability by definition is the assurance of the continuation of life in the same, or better quality, in the future. So it asks all of us to make sure that we use our resources in a more responsible way. What it does by it is that it makes us look for alternatives when it comes to things that pollute and destroy the earth.

Plastic waste, car gases, non-sustainable electricity resources, etc are all ways in which we contribute to the ever-changing climate and living condition on planet earth. With the changes happening in the world, many of us ask ourselves, can we be friendlier to the earth and life on it?

The answer is always yes. With the increasing awareness on the matter, it has become easier and easier to be kinder and better to the world. The things we can do start by being better ourselves, to educate others on the matter. There are literal and abstract actions we can take to live more sustainably and here are some of them:

1. Live paperlessly and recycle
This one is a very easy goal we can assign to ourselves. With the advances in technology, the use of paper has become unnecessary. While the paper is not amongst the biggest polluters, but it is manufactured by cutting down trees. Living paperless decreases the demand for paper, which lowers the production of paper, therefore the cutting of trees. It might seem like a small step to decide not to print an email, but it means more than you might think.

2. Avoid plastic
Plastic is, in fact, one of the biggest polluters of land and the oceans. The fact that it takes so long to decompose and seeing the amount of it that we use, it is frightening seeing where we are headed. Most of us have seen the views of the “plastic beaches”. That is killing ocean life and is taking up space. Plastic is definitely one of the things we should get rid of if we want to live a more sustainable life.

3. Change your lightbulbs
This task is so easy, it sounds silly to mention it. But it is so significant that it can’t go without a mention. The changing of lightbulbs has a direct impact on the amount of energy we spend and waste. By changing your light bulbs, you won’t only contribute to saving the planet, but also lower your electricity bill.

4. Reduce water waste
Water is life. The human body is made of 70% water. Without it, we can not live. It is important we stress it enough that people stop their running taps when they are not using them. Drinkable water is something that many people struggle with. Not only in less developed countries, but also in the US. The water crisis is a real problem which we can do something to help.

5. Educate yourself and others on sustainability
Sometimes we want to do more but it is not in our hands, We want to not only contribute to a better earth but want to develop new technologies and manage businesses in a way that will benefit a better future. This can be done by studying sustainability and educating others on it.