Environmental sustainability is one of the booming trends of recent years. The recent advances towards sustainable consumption, responsible with the environment, have been very well received in a society that is concerned about the impact that the products we buy have on the environment.
The ban on the use of single-use plastics throughout the European Union from 2021 is confirmation that the trend towards more sustainable forms of consumption is much more than just a fad, it is a one-way path for citizens everywhere. the world. From BioTech Foods we want to join the fight against climate change and analyze our ability as consumers to reduce, recycle and reuse our possessions. Because with simple habits within everyone’s reach we can contribute to making sustainable consumption the key to our shopping list.
Reducing energy consumption in our homes is the first step towards a more sustainable life, with fewer greenhouse gas emissions. In this sense, the first step would be to focus on electricity consumption with measures such as replacing the light bulbs in the home with LED technology, since this type of lamp does not contain toxic elements in its composition and requires very little electricity to generate energy.
We can also make use of the decoration to generate less electricity, opting for light tones on the walls and decorative elements, since the light from the outside tends to reflect on them, turning our home into a cozy space that enhances natural lighting. The use of home automation and the choice of efficient household appliances also have ecological implications in our daily lives. Thus, the programming of certain activities such as heating, robotic cleaning of the house or laundry are an efficient way of dealing with household chores, not to mention the savings that we achieve by reducing the time that the technology gives us thanks to these new functionalities.
Responsible consumption, the choice of an informed consumer
Responsible consumption is the other big leg of our journey towards environmental sustainability. The reduction, reuse and recycling of our consumables, as well as the inclusion of consumption habits where sustainability is the fundamental requirement, make up a future panorama where the shopping list is the result of real needs and not last-minute wishes.
The return to buying in bulk is one of the most recent trends in responsible consumption, and many are its supporters. The advantages are clear, by buying only what is necessary, you reduce food waste and food packaging, which is usually plastic. In addition, it represents a return to a local consumption model, betting on seasonal products and local consumption, where we resume contact with small businesses and farmers.
Stopping the high level of consumerism installed within our society is one of the challenges we face as citizens of a world whose natural resources are on the verge of exhaustion. The high demand for natural resources such as cotton and other fibers, as well as water for textile production, is a clear example of unsustainable production in a world that demands a change in attitude from its inhabitants. If we take into account that only the production of a simple cotton t-shirt needs 2,700 liters of water, we will discover that behind the ‘fast fashion’ industry, which produces close to 100,000 million articles of clothing each year, hides a chilling reality. in ecological terms. Due to the infeasibility of the current system, for ecological and ethical reasons, certain movements have emerged such as the so-called ‘slow fashion’, a philosophy of responsible consumption in the textile field that tries to raise awareness about the impact of our clothes on the environment at the same time that advocates the use of biodegradable garments and produced following ethical and ecological criteria.
More and more people are becoming aware of the problem of scarcity of resources and climate change, producing a change in their purchasing processes. Purchasing processes that are becoming more sustainable thanks to the innumerable options already within our reach and others that are yet to come. The concept of a global village has never been better represented. Thanks to this sustainable consumption movement, the option of leading an ‘eco-responsible’ life is possible!
