By As humans we’ve had incredible breakthroughs with technology and cost-effective manufacturing over the years. But at what cost? By creating a ‘comfort bubble’ for ourselves, we have become responsible for enabling a disabled planet. Whilst the prospect of living sustainably can seem intimidating and almost impossible at times, in the midst of the current climate crisis it has become more important than ever to become more conscious in the way we create and consume. Thankfully, taking action towards creating a more sustainable future is actually a lot easier than you think!
John Engelander is a world-class planet enabler! Passionate about living life fully, John maintains that only a healthy planet can support this vision. Dedicated to helping both businesses and individuals reduce their environmental impact, John is fully committed to identify and enact the tools they need to grow in a more sustainable direction. As the founder of two very successful sustainability brands, John’s experience in the sustainability sector is immense.
Making a huge impact whilst leaving behind a small footprint, John shares his top 5 tips below on how to best approach living a sustainable lifestyle.
- Become a part of the conversation.
It is beyond easy to ignore anything that may cause discomfort or require increased effort on our part. Similarly it is easy to ignore the many people telling us that it’s time to adopt a more sustainable lifestyle. Our planet is literally crying out and begging us for help! Being part of this planet-saving conversation is the first step to learning how we as individuals and as a community can begin living a sustainable life. Once you begin engaging with the issue (as with anything in life), you begin to understand it. And when we understand, we place importance on what we have learnt. Taking steps to learn about how you can reduce your contribution to the problem at hand is the first step in directly contributing to increasing the positive impact you are making on the environment!
- Less really is more.
For some unfathomable reason, our society has become obsessed with ‘things’. Yes, the human race has created some truly beautiful things, but the most destructive is creating the importance society places on materialism. We’ve been conditioned to think that we find success when we accumulate ‘things’. It’s incredibly sad to see that we’ve narrowed our hopes and dreams down to something so futile. There is so, so, so much more to life than this kind of short-lived success! Instead, we need to learn to take a moment and think about how we will feel beyond this short-lived feeling of joy we experience after gaining another new material possession. I am not by any means saying to forgo all materialistic possessions, but rather flipping the switch and really thinking about what material things really impact our lives in a long-term positive manner and investing only in those.
- Be on top of your waste management.
Our world has literally become a dumping ground. It’s beyond important for individuals, and businesses in particular, to put more thought into how we are contributing to the planet’s deterioration through the form of waste. Of course producing waste is inevitable, therefore we need to ensure we have proper waste management systems in place, particularly those which are designed to ensure your waste is being recycled or reused as much as possible.
- Don’t be fooled by green-washing.
Remember when green was just a colour? Now, we’ve come to associate it with representing sustainability thanks to ‘clever’ marketing and branding. So many products these days label themselves as ‘green’ or incorporate the colour into their packaging that we don’t think twice about looking into it further. This is known as green-washing- where companies use green when marketing a product to trick consumers into believing the product is eco-friendly. By being aware of this, we can make sure to read the label to ensure the product is actually environmentally enabelling.
- Be the impact that others choose.
The best leaders are those that lead by example. As a business, or even an individual wanting to lead their family or friends into implementing environmental change, it is important to lead by example. Be dedicated to sustainability and be a role model for others in the industry. Start off small – implement using keep cups when out and within the office, use recycle, compost, landfill and soft plastic bins. Momentum is built through compounding effects. Remember, one persona cannot save the world. But it only takes one person to enact change.
Becoming a planet enabler does not require self-sacrifice. Become a force for enacting positive change by implementing John’s tips above! If you would like to learn more from John, connect with him on LinkedIn. It’s time to take responsibility for your own impact on the environment, and remember, it’s really not as hard as you think!
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