The big city has its challenges when we talk about simple, sustainable living.  Nevertheless it is possible to live a greener, more conscious life in an urban jungle.  With just a few easy steps everyone can do their bit towards a greener, more sustainable future. And every little step counts.

What does sustainable living actually mean?

Depending on whether a person lives in the city or on a farm, on the level of eco awareness and our priorities, every individual has its own interpretation of sustainable living.  It is a subjective view.

The following definition from Wikipedia sum the sustainable living term:

“Sustainable living refers to a specific lifestyle that attempts to reduce an individual’s or society’s use of the Earth’s natural resources. Practitioners of sustainable living often attempt to reduce their carbon footprints by altering methods of transportation, energy consumption and diet.”

Sounds complicated?  Put simply, it is a way of life that reduces the impact on the environment while leading a healthier and more conscious life.

What holds people back to turn to sustainable living?

In our busy lives, especially in the big cities where the pace of life is getting faster, with information overload on a daily basis and a little free time, a majority of population is on auto-pilot: grab a take-away dinner, fill the shopping trolley without giving much thought what goes in there (and in your body), eat in front of TV without noticing the amount etc.  Who has the time to think about greener, sustainable living?

No time is the most common reason that holds people back from a more conscious and greener life, as well other excuses like:

• Can’t afford it,
• Don’t know where to start and what to do,
• It’s not my job to take action, why do we have a government? and
• Why bother after all? to name a few.

All the above statements are misconceptions.  We (my husband, kids and I) are doing it while living in the big city and speaking from our experience, adopting a greener, more sustainable life has been a great satisfaction!

Reasons for sustainable living

We found the shift towards the greener living easy, very empowering and liberating.    I’ll list here just some of the major benefits for our family:

• We are leading a healthier life
• Escaping the rat race and choosing to be mum at home – by far the most satisfying benefit
• Helping the environment
• Although on one income, being able to save a lot
• Healthier home
• More free time to spend with children
• Teaching our kids about sustainable fundamentals
• Eating delicious, home cooked food
• And many, many more.

In the part two I’ll write about where and how to start living sustainably with some simple green tips for an easy start.

P.S.  This cute removable and re-usable sticker on the photo above, made from a non-toxic, biodegradable material is from rippleproducts.