#SustainableLifestyle

 Los Angeles Eco Village. It might seem like a great idea to do in one's community. After thinking a few minutes about creating a sustainable community or village even, one might start to have questions or come to the conclusion that they do not know how to begin to create an Eco-Village in their community. There are certain steps and tips one can follow to make this task happen.
There is a positive trend becoming more and more popular as time goes on. The trend is to live a more sustainable lifestyle. Certain communities or groups of people have taken this sustainability lifestyle to the next level by creating sustainable communities.

LA Eco-Village

In only takes a few neighbors to get started. Get three or four people to get involved who share the same goal and motives as yourself. Look for these kinds of people who live on your block or in your apartment complex. Maybe they even go to school with you. Create friendships with these  people. Have weekly game nights or potluck meals to build trust and friendship. During these events, be sure to talk about problems that pertain to sustainability. Add to the conversation by talking about how you feel about the current situation in your neighborhood. Speak about how you plan to contribute in sustainable way to the community and how a group can make a difference.

Make lists about what you as an individual are passionate about as well as what the group is passionate about when it pertains to sustainability issues. Set priorities on what each of you individually can start to do to change your lifestyle to be more sustainable. For example, it could be taking public transportation instead of always using a gas guzzling car. Write down three things that you as a group could do in your communities such as creating a composting site, create a common vegetable garden that the group could share or care for the street trees in the neighborhood. Make sure you attach a goal to these activities to ensure they get  done, example being a month.

Come up with a decision making system. This is important because many decisions will have to be made on how to go about activities relating to sustainability. You could use majority rules or everyone has to agree in order for that action to be taken. This is important to save time and arguments.

Get the youth in your neighborhood involved in sustainable actions. This should be a priority as spreading habits young is easier than getting adults to change behavior. Create a garden where children can plant fruits and vegetables. Teach children how to ride a bike and encourage them to recycle for money. Make these tasks enjoyable so children will want to continue these habits long term.

It is important to find out who your elected officials. Start off by contacting your city council person. Find out what they are doing when it comes to sustainability. Ask questions about their plans pertaining to the environment for example. If they do not have any, help them create some.

Keep sharing your groups mission with your block and neighborhood. Work as a group not individually to spread your mission and your goals. By doing this your small group will grow. Be patient and stay passionate. One sustainable day at a time can make a big difference.

Video on building an Eco-Village on a river

Bring Sustainability to Your Closet

 

Sustainability is becoming more and more of a topic as time goes on. People usually overlook how to be sustainable when it comes to a wardrobe. There are tips on how to take this concept into one's closet.

Start with washing your clothes. Purchase green, Eco-friendly laundry detergent. Regular detergent contains numerous amounts of chemicals that harm the environment. Use low heat and line dry to conserve energy. An alternative to this is to find an organic cleaner who can take your clothes from dirty to clean with no harm toward the environment.

"According to the EPA, more than 25 billion pounds of clothing and household textiles were generated in the U.S. in 2009. Currently, more than 21 billion pounds are discarded in U.S. landfills. That’s about 70 pounds of clothing and household textiles per person each year"(Denardo, 2015). These are scary numbers. This is just the fashion sector! Each person needs to do their part to cut this number down. There is only so much room on our planet and we do not want our planet to look like our bedroom closet. Find alternative ways to discard your clothing. Host a swap meet or garage sales. Donate the clothes to a charity such as the salvation army, goodwill, or dress for success. In addition, buy clothes from secondhand stores. Ideas of where to shop are SnobSwap, The RealReal, 1stdibs, Portero and eDrop-Off. Taking these few steps will help cut those unsustainable statistics.

Reinvent old styles or clothes. It is neither necessary nor sustainable to wear the latest fashionable clothing out there. Find ways to bring your old clothing to life. In addition, use biodegradable bags when you do go shopping. Buying local also helps. This does not only support small businesses but by doing this businesses can buy local and thus cut down on transportation pollution.

"According to the Center for Environmental Health, fast fashion retailers like Charlotte Russe, Wet Seal and Forever 21 are still selling lead-contaminated shoes, belts and purses above the legal amount, even years after signing a settlement agreeing to limit the use of heavy metals in their products" (Denardo, 2015). Fast fashion is one of the main factors that leads the industry to be unsustainable. The cheap clothing is attractive and it is exciting to be able to keep up with the trends with little budget. At the end of the day, these clothes do not last long. A couple washes and they rip or lose their form. In addition, many of these fast fashion companies do not have ethical labor standards. Their workers are underpaid and have to work in harsh, dangerous conditions.

Green Living can help you learn what materials or fabrics are most sustainable. This will help you when you are shopping. Look at the tag and see if they contain bamboo, silk, organic cotton, soy, hemp or lyocell. These are examples of natural fabrics. Be careful though because some of these such as cotton can be produced in unsustainable conditions. Be sure to do your homework and know what kind of material the clothes you are interested are made of.

These are just a few helpful tips on how to bring sustainability into your closet and make a difference. One purchase at a time can lead to one sustainable day after another.