Consumption and production happens daily and if we are not careful on how we consume/produce it can have a negative impact on our planet. Responsible consumption means being conscious of what we eat/drink/use/buy and how it affected/affects/will affect the environment. Responsible production means being conscious of the making process and the effect it had/has/will have on the environment. The UN says that if "the global population reach 9.6 billion by 2050, the equivalent of almost three planets could be required to provide the natural resources needed to sustain current lifestyles." For more facts and figures visit: https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-consumption-production/. Before people weren't as conscious about the environment as they are today so most business didn't do much to be sustainable. Now we have to break those bad habits, for example buying things we dont need or use products that come in plastic packaging. The change starts with us, we have to change our lifestyle so that the business that arent sustainable will make a change of their own to keep up with the demand for environmentally friendly products. The IST environment group has decided to focus on Goal 12 "responsible consumption and production" as it is something that concerns every single person on Earth. It can be at home and at work/school. We don't want to sit and watch overpopulation occur and how the planet gets damaged. We want to take initiative and take action on something that we strongly believe. We can't do it alone we need your help aswell, if everyone makes a small change it will have a big impact. Our aim is to reduce our environmental footprint and for that we need to change our habits. Here are some ideas on what you can start doing. We recommend a gradual change as it will be easier to adapt to it. Some of them are very obvious but sometimes we forget them. 1. Eat less meat You don't have to become vegetarian, as it can be a very hard commitment. What you can do instead is decide for example that you won't eat meat every fridays and then each month you add another day so you don't eat meat every tuesdays and fridays. I also try to not order meat when i go to restaurants or if I order meat I try to not eat it at home. 2. Waste less food Serve yourself the amount of food you are going to eat, it is better to serve yourself food multiple times than to throw it away. We all know this, but we don't always put it in place. What you could do aswell is separate the organic food from the rest so that it can be composted. 3. Buy only what you need, buy second handed if possible Sometimes we buy things unconsciously, we buy them because they look pretty and we don't think about the use that we are going to give them. When it comes to fashion try to avoid or at least reduce the amount you buy from fast-fashion brands. Instead you can buy second hand clothes or any other product in flea markets and thrift stores. For more information about where to go in Toulouse visit this website: https://theculturetrip.com/europe/france/articles/toulouses-top-flea-markets-and-thrift-stores/ 4. Avoid using plastic products and plastic packaging, use alternatives instead Most products are either made out of plastic or have plastic packaging or even both. Some plastic products are very easy to replace for example from a plastic toothbrush to a
toothbrush. Other products like a pack of biscuits is harder to replace as we would we have to completely change the way we shop, it is possible though. You dont have to switch to a plastic-free life straight away, a gradu
al change is required to be able to achieve it. Stay tuned for more information on how to achieve this. If you are very keen on this you could buy some books to use as a guide. Remember only replace plastic products if they can't no longer be used, don't throw them away straight away. For example if you have plastic bags, reuse them until they can't be used anymore because they have holes, and then buy the bags made out of cloth.
5. Reuse as much as possible
This is just a reminder (we can't never get enough of those) as it is something that most people know and do so I don't have to go into details.
6. Use public transport, walk, cycle
We all like parents driving us around to a friend's house. We don't like sitting for almost an hour on the bus, its more convenient to take the car for 20 minutes. From now on, I suggest we all try to take public transport a little bit more and the car a little bit less. We can always use the bus to do other productive things like read or study from our phones. This way we use our time wisely and "it's a waste of time to take the bus" is no longer a valid excuse. If where you going is near enough you can even walk or cycle which is better for the environment and for you as you get a bit of daily exercise.
7. Switch off the lights when they aren't being used
Another thing that we all do most of the time, but sometimes forget. Try to use natural light as more as possible, that might mean rearranging your room so your desk is by the window. Don't turn all the lights in the room one should do. If no one is in the room turn the light off, even if you are going to go back five minutes later. Got nothing to do and you are bored, walk around the house and turn off the lights you don't need on. (While writing this I turned off 3 lights we weren't using at my house, so if i could do it so can you).
8. Close the tap/shower when its not being used, check for leakages
If you are brushing your teeth, close the tap. If you are putting shampoo on your hair, close the shower. Easy peasy! Make sure you have closed them properly after you have used them. Sometimes we don't close them properly or they don't work properly and thats when we waste a lot of water. If there is a leakage, tell your parents so they can fix it as soon as possible.
9. Use renewable energy and save energy
Turn down the heating in winter and use the air conditioner less in summer. Replace the traditional light bulbs with LED bulbs. Use less hot water. Install appropriate windows at your house that insulate the heat.
10. Don't litter
Don't throw rubbish on the floor. If you can't find a bin, hold it or put it in your pocket until you see one. Something that barely anyone does is pick up the rubbish that someone else threw. It really isn't hard to stop for a second, pick the rubbish that is on the floor and then throw it in the bin.
I hope these ideas help you get a start on a more eco-friendly lifestyle. Remember if you have any questions or suggestions don't hesitate to contact us. We are here to help you and to help the planet be more sustainable!