Promote Sustainable Lifestyles this World Environment Day

Health is wealth. We are willing to stretch ourselves to the limit to ensure the well-being of ourselves and our loved ones. However, we often tend to overlook how equally significant it is to care for the safety and well-being of the planet we live in and the environment surrounding us. The air we breathe, the water we drink and the soil that forms the ground we stand on, needs our help. Are we willing to undertake a few modifications in our lifestyle to safeguard the environment around us?

Across the globe, concern is mounting over an ever growing list of environmental problems. Evidence suggests that people are consuming far more natural resources than what the planet can sustainably offer. The wellbeing of humanity, environment and economies ultimately depends on the judicious use of resources. Hence, one needs to work out a promising strategy, within planetary boundaries, to ensure a brighter and safe tomorrow.

Many-a-times, business organizations, communities and individuals wish to do their part in saving the environment, but are not very sure as to how they can go about it. It is not always necessary that one has to spend large amounts of donations towards this cause. Being environmentally friendly could simply mean altering one's lifestyle for the betterment of the environment.

So how do we make a difference?
Below mentioned are simple, easy-to-do, realistic measures that one can take in their everyday lives.

* Something as simple as switching to eco-friendly sustainable products, also called green products, can go a long way in reducing the contamination caused to our natural resources. Eco-friendly products are day-to-day sustainable essentials that are environmentally safe from extraction of raw materials to production, consumption as well as disposal
* Conserve energy! Turn off the lights and appliances when not in use
* Say no to plastic bags when you shop. Use cloth bags instead
* Don't keep the tap running while brushing your teeth. This can save you as much as 11 liters every time!
* Check for tap leakages. It can save over 20 liters of water in a year
* Instead of pouring used water from pets' bowls or running showers down the drain, capture the water and use it for plants
* Did you know your water purifier could be responsible for wastage of water? For 1 glass of drinking water, RO technology uses 7 glasses of water. Using incorrect purification techniques like RO in places where TDS is below 200ppm could result in the consumption of distilled water which is detrimental to health. Thus it is of prime importance to use the right technology for purification so that all the essential minerals present in water are retained
* Wash your fruits and vegetables in a pan of water instead of running water from the tap. Collect the water you use for rinsing fruits and vegetables, and then reuse it to water plants
* Grey water which is not fit for human consumption can be used for gardens or plants around house
* Grey water from the bathroom sink can be directed towards toilet's tank, as it's not necessary to flush a toilet with clean water
* Rainwater harvesting is one easy solution for the acute crisis of water shortage in urban areas. Put simply, rain water falling on rooftops can be stored in tanks, wells etc. and re-used
* Follow the adage "Charity Begins at Home" , create awareness on the scarcity of water and encourage people to share clean drinking water with the deprived section of the society
* Instead of using vehicles within close proximities, we must walk the distance or try carpooling options
* Wherever possible, we should minimize the use of air conditioners. It leads to heavy wastage of electricity and energy
* In order to keep the air fresh within the confines of your house, try installing a good quality air purifier with a high efficiency particulate air filtration (HEPA) filter. This will trap small particles and pollutants, thereby significantly improving the air and therefore the environment
* Club your work - hit the post office, grocery store and shopping place in one trip. It will save you gas, time and effort
* We often tend to wash our clothes in machines when there are only handful of dirty laundry. Instead run a machine once you collect a bag full of clothes
* We buy more than we need. The problem with growing purchasing power parity and aspirational values is that we buy more, use less and need it even lesser
* Instead of paper bills and statements every month, switch to e-statements and e-bills
* Reduce usage of chemicals and pesticides in everyday functioning
* Choose more local, organic and seasonal food
* Avoid the use of products that consume large amount of our natural resources. Reuse products whenever possible. Recycle and use products like paper, steel, glass, aluminum cans and foil. Reduce the usage of energy consuming products if not avoidable

Be as creative as possible in finding alternative ways to opt for energy saving and environmentally friendly processes. Taking baby steps towards conservation, can go a long way in making our planet a better place for our communities and generations to come.