I’ve quite literally, and metaphorically, woken up over the past few years, to my impact on the planet and the sustainability of my existence on earth.

A few weeks ago, as I was drifting off to sleep, I suddenly asked my husband: “Where does my water come from? Where does my water waste go? I need to find it!!” I had to stop myself from getting up that very second, to crawl under the house and follow the pipes to find the source, or ring a plumber for an after hours call out.

Sustainability may be a buzzword in the media, associated with suffocating turtles and climate change, but it’s also a concept I’ve intertwined into my daily habits. It’s filled my life with passion and purpose.

It all started with fashion. I’ve always adored prints, colours, styles, and unique designs; when I was a toddler, I used to change my outfit up to 10 times a day and put on constant fashion shows for my poor family! My world was rocked when I watched The True Cost in 2015, and learnt the truth about the fashion industry. Since then, I’ve been assessing and changing the ways I interact with the world.

To me, sustainability is about being conscious of the way I consume. I continue to question my food, power, water, waste, carbon footprint, and even my interactions with other human beings, and animals. My switch to a more sustainable lifestyle didn’t happen overnight, heck, I’m still learning daily!

Sustainability is not about making a drastic decision to go vegan, zero waste, and sell your car all in one day. It’s quite the opposite. Ironically, adopting a sustainable lifestyle must be sustainable. It needs to involve baby steps if it is to be sustainable for you, and the world, in the long run.

My 3 favourite ways to live a more sustainable lifestyle:

1.    Vote with your pocket

I question every item I buy, and service I use. Voting with your dollars for local services, and ethically made products, shows the world what type of society you want to live in. e.g. Make conscious decisions around your bank, clothes, hair dresser, and food.

2.    Reusables

My zero-waste kit sits in my handbag 24/7. I carry a straw, cutlery set, bag, napkin, and drink bottle with me everywhere. I keep containers and jars in my car in case I want to grab takeaways, and every time I put something in the rubbish bin, I assess how I could have avoided it. Disposable consumption is not sustainable: we need to reuse what we have and create products that last.

3.    Enjoy it!

Every Sunday morning, I bike to the farmer’s market, I visit the bulk bin store weekly, and the butcher every few weeks. I know these people personally; they’re my community. I spend one day a week trashing my kitchen making bread, kombucha, candles, snacks, and all types of meals to freeze for the future. I’ve turned my values around sustainability into my hobbies, and in doing so, it’s given me a new love and appreciation for life itself.

As a human being existing on this gorgeous planet of ours, I believe we have a responsibility. We must tread lightly, consciously, always engaging with our environment, and interacting with it respectfully.

Sustainable living is not about perfection, it’s about doing your best with what you have, for the planet and people that you love.

All images by the amazing Nectar Photography.