8 Sustainable Living Trends to Embrace in 2020

March 26, 2020

There has never been a bigger spike in environmental awareness than the one we have seen in 2019. Thanks to Greta Thunberg, green activism and the promotion of sustainability topics at the forefront of government agendas, after decades, we are finally seeing strides in sustainability.

Here is what you can do to make your contribution for a healthier, greener Earth in 2020:

1. Zero Waste

Zero Waste is a movement that’s finally started to get traction in 2019. It builds upon the hypothesis that the world’s waste management system is not sustainable and that we as individuals have to work hard in order to reduce the amount of waste we produce.

Unlike some other tiny changes that you can embrace to lead a more sustainable lifestyle, having a household that’s entirely zero waste can be incredibly hard. You need to keep it in mind at all times and constantly make changes to your everyday habits to accommodate this new lifestyle.

2. Fair Trade

When it comes to commerce and retail, unfair labor and pricing practices are one of the biggest enemies to long-term sustainability. This is why there are now organizations around the world that promote fair trade as the sustainable commerce of the future.

Here are some resources that can help you discover more information about fair trade: WowGrade (an academic writing website with plenty of resources in all fields), Fair Trade International (an organization working to increase fair trade awareness), Studicus (a community of academics and writers).

3. Plastic-Free

Even though it may seem hard and tricky, going plastic-free in an effort to promote sustainability can be easy and fun once you make it a habit. The toughest part is actually becoming aware about all the single-use plastic you have in your environment and deliberately changing your lifestyle to go plastic-free.

Start by eliminating plastic bottles, bags and cups from your household. These are the basic items that are easiest to replace with glass bottles, reusable water bottles and tote bags. Later, as you get more used to this lifestyle, you can continue going further in eliminating plastic from your household.

4. Plant-Based Diet

Veganism is definitely the most sustainability-friendly diet option currently known to man. However, due to our cultural habits and traditions, giving up meat is something that can seem downright impossible after being a meat-eater all your life.

“You don’t have to go fully vegan to make your contribution towards sustainability. Simply including more plants in your diet and being more aware of your eating habits can go a long way”, says Estelle Liotard, a writer at TrustMyPaper.

5. Off the Grid (Sort Of)

If you’ve seen some of the reality shows and DIY series like Off the Grid on the Beach or Tiny House, Big Living, you may have already been tempted with the life off the grid. However, if you live in a big city and your flat is highly dependent on the urban network, it can be really hard to go off the grid, even temporarily or partially.

Still, you can make tiny steps towards this lifestyle by installing solar panels, collecting and filtering rainwater or turning to sustainable heating systems.

6. Anti Fast Fashion

Among other articles, stories and exposes, the Netflix documentary The True Cost really shed a light on the harmful effects the fast fashion industry has on the environment. After the documentary (and activism by influential fashionistas), many people have started boycotting these fast fashion brands.

Buying new clothes on a weekly basis is simply not a sustainable lifestyle, neither for individuals nor for the society as a whole. When you’re shopping for clothes, try to invest more into clothes that will actually last for years.

7. Minimalism

General minimalistic tendencies are an awesome sustainability trend to live by in 2020. In our consumerist, capitalist times, it’s getting harder and harder to keep your focus on what’s really important and stop hoarding materialistic things.

For many of us, collecting stuff  that we don’t really need has become a daily habit.

In an effort to help save the environment, make your household more sustainable and ultimately, improving your personal finances, try adopting a minimalist mindset. This means being able to be content with what you already have and focus on the important things in life.

8. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

This is not actually a sustainability trend, but it’s a way of thinking that will extend way beyond 2020 if we really want to contribute to a better, healthier Earth.

Unlike some other movements that we mentioned (such as zero waste and fair trade), recycling is really not hard. Once you get used to it, it can easily become a part of your daily routine – and it’s really easy to teach it to kids!

Conclusion

Even if you’re just an individual, you can still go far in promoting sustainability and green living. If we want to make a real difference, we all have to start from ourselves and not wait for systemic changes in society. As we could witness from these last few years, far-reaching changes are already happening, and they started from an individual level!

Bio

Helene Cue is a professional writer, content creator and digital marketer working for some of the best essay writing services such as GrabMyEssay and FreeEssayWriters. By expanding her knowledge in the field of academic writing and web content creation, Helene aims high and tries to consistently write the best essays in the world.