Simple Ways to Live a More Sustainable Life

2020 is in full swing! We’ve not only entered a new year but a new decade, and with issues such as climate change being brought to the global stage more and more, it really is time to rethink our lifestyle and choices.

The term ‘sustainability’ is often misunderstood, but to put it simply, being sustainable means the ability to exist constantly. It’s about focusing on meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.

To some people it may sound confusing or somewhat scary - “how am I supposed to do my part and be more sustainable when I don’t really know how to?”. Well we have some answers for you, in case you didn’t know already!

There are so many simple and easy ways to live a more sustainable life - it’s all about baby steps. It’s much better to actively try and be sustainable in any way, than to not care at all. The smallest things can make a huge difference.

Here are some SUPER simple and easy ways you can have and most importantly, enjoy a more sustainable life.

KEEP CUPS

Some of you may have been incorporating reusable coffee cups into your life for a while now (which is amazing!) but there are definitely people out there who will buy their morning coffee everyday in a takeaway cup. Takeaway coffee cups are typically lined with polyethylene to prevent leakage, which makes them unrecyclable, taking years to break down in landfill. Therefore, the trick to make your daily coffee runs more sustainable is to purchase a reusable coffee cup. It helps you commit to a single-use mentality and it’s estimated that by saying no to non-recyclable and single-use packaging, you’re saving around 150kg of CO2 emissions a year! Considering 16.3 million Australians drink coffee daily, imagine if we all took this little step?

Our favourites around dk active HQ are Frank Green, Huskee Cup and Keep Cup.

REUSABLE BOTTLES

Similarly to Keep Cups, it’s scary to think of the number of people that are still using plastic bottles as water bottles AND not recycling them once they are done with them! Water bottles nowadays have become super Insta-worthy and very aesthetically pleasing, so it’s a must! It’ll also help you keep hydrated throughout the day, so you’re not only making an effort to be more sustainable, but you’re being good to yourself and your body. Water bottles are also perfect for all seasons now - at dk active, we have made fully insulated stainless steel water bottles to help keep your drinks icy cold in the summer, and hot in the winter. So whether your drink is refreshing iced tea, icy cold water, a freshly brewed coffee or a warm hot chocolate, we’ve got you covered!

Check out our range of stainless steel bottles here.

REUSABLE GROCERY BAGS

Plastic bags are incredibly harmful to the planet and take 500 or more years to degrade in a landfill, but even then, they don’t completely break down. Instead, they become microplastics that absorb harmful toxins. These microplastics can then enter waterways and end up back in our bodies. Fortunately, in 2018, all Australia's major supermarkets removed single-use plastic bags from checkouts and it’s estimated the change has already saved around 1.7 billion single-use bags from ending up in landfill. This helped change people’s mindsets significantly, as it became habitual to bring along the reusable shopping bags - especially if they are pretty to look at like the ones below. There’s nothing worse than planning a grocery trip, realising you forgot your shopping bags, despite having dozens in the kitchen cupboard!

As well as reusable grocery bags, cotton mesh bags are also a super important purchase to help you say goodbye to placing your fruit and vegetables in plastic bags at the supermarket. The In Our Hands bags are made from natural cotton and can even help preserve the life of those delicious fruits and veggies.

REUSABLE STRAWS

Plastic straws are slowly being phased out in cafes and on university campuses, but there’s still a way to go! One thing to help eliminate single-use straws is to bring your own. Materials vary from metal, bamboo, glass and silicone, but they’re easy to clean and some can be folded down and made very compact, which means you’ll have no excuse when it comes to carrying it in your bag - they’re definitely packed smaller than your phone and we know you always carry that around! ;)

We’ve linked some great places where you can purchase your reusable straw below.

REUSABLE ECO-FRIENDLY FOOD WRAPS

Another single-use and non-recyclable item it’s time to ditch is cling wrap. Reusable and eco-friendly alternatives are a simple solution and there are so many options to choose from. Whether it be compostable food storage bags, reusable silicone food covers or organic wraps, it’s safe to say you can definitely say goodbye to cling wrap. Linked below are some great websites where you can find out more and purchase some of these great alternatives.

CONSCIOUS SHOPPING / SUSTAINABLE BRANDS

This is definitely a favourite of ours! As you may know, at dk active, we strive to change the game in sustainable and environmentally responsible design. We source high quality sustainably produced textiles that have minimal environmental impact. And it’s definitely starting to become a priority for more and more brands. But it’s not just about the company reevaluating their system, it's also about you - the customer - and how you choose to shop. It’s just as important to think about clothes after you’ve purchased them. Not all clothes have to be thrown out after only a few wears - someone else may really want that item and even have an idea to customise or upcycle it! Being more conscious of how you shop, and lifespans of the products in your wardrobe can make all the difference.

Shop some of our most sustainable products below, manufactured from recycled nylon waste recovered from ocean waste & landfill.