7 Reasons Why Sustainable Living is Important

I talk a lot about how to live a more sustainable life and what you can do to reduce your waste and ultimately live more sustainably – but why is it important? Sustainable living is not just about the turtles or the tonnes and tonnes of plastic we are throwing into the oceans or the kilometers of landfill all over the world. It is about so much more than that. Each one of us have our own reasons for making the change to a more sustainable lifestyle but if you are still wondering why it is important these are 7 reasons why sustainable living is important to me (and why they should be important to you too).

Before we diving into the reasons why sustainable living is important, let’s take a look at the 3 important pillars of sustainability.

1. Social : This is built on the idea that everyone, everywhere has the same access to resources without having to compromise on their quality of life.
2. Economic: This pillar relies on larger corporate companies making ethical and sustainable decisions about how they manufacture and distribute their products.
3. Environment: This is what we are doing to protect our natural resources and everything that is associated with that!

See, it is already about more than just the plastic straw or growing your own veggies.

7 Reasons Why Sustainable Living is Important

1. Our natural resources are protected and conserved. When we use less, we need less which means less is produced which in turn conserves those resources that are non-renewable, like fossil fuels and other energy sources.
2. Air quality is improved. If we have less factories polluting the air and less cars driving around, the quality of air will improve dramatically which in turn will see an improvement in the overall health and well-being of people.
3. When you eat better, you are healthier. When you start paying attention to what foods you are putting into your body and reduce the amount of processed foods in your diet, you will start to see a difference in your health. Eating a more sustainable diet, not necessarily a vegan diet, is kinder to both the environment and your body.
4. Waste is reduced. Have you ever been to a landfill? I haven’t, I have driven past one and each time I drive past it, it grows exponentially. This means that the waste we are producing is taking up more and more land that was inhabited by animals (or even people). The less waste we all produce, the less space is taken up by landfills and the more space we have for other, more productive and positive things.
5. Human behaviour needs to work with (not against) the natural ecosystem. Large corporates put the needs of the consumer and the desire for profits at the forefront of what they do – nearly always at the expense of the ecosystem around it. Factories and shopping malls are built with little regard for the natural ecosystem that lived their first. Sustainable living means that business and nature find a way to work successfully together.
6. We need natural resources. We need Mother Nature. We need food to eat and water to drink. If we ruin the land and use all the water – what will happen? Protecting our environment is not just a hippie movement – it is essential for our survival.
7. Sustainability is about growth in harmony with the environment. Creating sustainable economies is about creating a safe and healthy world for future generations and ensures positive growth.

Is living a more sustainable life something that is on your radar? What changes are you making?