How to be sustainable throughout your day by making minor changes to your daily habits: We believe we all can make a difference.

When we think sustainability for many it seems overwhelming to think about how to be more sustainable. The truth is there are so many buzz words that are constantly being thrown around in every industry, not just design + architecture that leaves many so overwhelmed they decide not to do anything. The problem with doing nothing is the earth as we know it is quickly deteriorating on all levels; land + sea. We all need to take active part of saving the earth and attempt to turn the clock around not just for humanity but for all living beings that help sustain the cycle of our well-being.

How do we begin to really dig deeper and turn some of the language we use into layman terms and then into actionable steps that everyone can truly understand no matter what background or industry they are from?

We want to share with you some easy options you can implement to reduce waste every day through making small changes to your daily + weekly habits and by just doing that - We all can truly make a difference.

We all drink a hot beverage in the morning - we recommend that you purchase coffee + tea that you love for your cupboard at home. Choose 3 days out of the week that you will create 5 min mindful practice with drinking your hot beverage at home; this will save you money + allow you time to ground your energy over your favorite hot drink in the morning at your own private sanctuary - your home.

Here are some of our favorite single origin: Life Boost Coffee are single origin from Nicaragua and is mycotoxin-free ;

Volcanic traces its origin to Ethiopia wild coffee trees our favorite is Ethiopian Yirgacheffe, also this brand is supporter of charity: water. This non-profit organization raises money to find clean water projects around the world.

Spirit Animal is an up and coming coffee company that focuses on Honduran coffee. The people at this company care about raising the living conditions of the Honduran people. They not only pay a fair price for the coffee; they also invest their profits into the farms. This helps create sustainable harvests and can also improve the quality of the coffee. Their coffee comes from micro-lots. Each micro-lot is identified by the grower’s name, region, elevation and processing method. As a result coffee is always the highest quality.

The days you are going into the office and you want to do stop at your favorite coffee shop bring with you reusable mug. We believe everything you use on daily bases should bring you smile on your face like when you were a kid and your parent offered your favorite candy or dessert and you felt like your heart was going burst from all the joy you where feeling.

Our go to favorite spots in New York is Butler + Daily Provisions

We love Porter Mug by W&P made out of durable ceramic Matte silicone sleeves and BPA-free press-fit lid. Its splash-resistant lid is designed for gentle transit and fits inmost car cup holders. Of course we love the sleek and clean design - and comes various colors.

Cooking at home well most of us were doing this for the past 18 months during pandemic that being said though many of us are back enjoying outdoor + indoor dining - cooking at home is a thing.

Let’s talk about food scraps, do you know that food waste create alarming rate of methanol. It has been estimated that if food waste was a country, it would be the third highest emitter of greenhouse gases after the US and China, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations. One third of greenhouse emissions globally come from agriculture, and 30% of the food we produce is wasted – about 1.8 billion tonnes of it a year. If, as a planet, we stopped wasting food altogether, we’d eliminate 8% of our total emissions.

Your probably thinking how the heck does my food waste produce Methane? Well, when we put our food in landfills rather than in compost piles, for the first few months it undergoes aerobic decomposition, which creates very little methane. But within a year, anaerobic conditions in the landfill are established, and bacteria decompose the waste and produce methane as a byproduct.

Here is what we recommend; purchase one of these handy daddy bins to throw your scraps in every other week drop the scraps at collection bins at your local green market. We like to keep the scraps in freezer to eliminate any issues with smell.Stack 4 composter beautifully designed so easy on the eyes.

Let’s talk all things cleaning products if you haven’t already it’s good time to switch to products that are healthier for you and your family and also does the work on the surfaces it’s intended for - we love using Public Good Products as they have refill options for their cleaning products - so all you really need is to purchase large spray bottles once then purchase small refill tubs.

This great way to reduce amount of plastic your purchasing and disposing off during the year. Also think of exploring your local Green Market. In New York City the famed Union Square Farmers Market is on every Monday, Wednesday, Friday + Saturday and is filled with great fresh vegetables, freshly baked breads, meats, cheese even house plants. Your support the local farm and also purchasing you produce without all the plastic. When do switch you realize how much plastic you where purchasing + then disposing into the trash. We encourage you to adopt one or two of these new habits and start someone where that you feel comfortable.

Sarah AbdallahComment