In a gist, sustainable living is about making responsible decisions to care for the planet. It is about providing our future generations a world that they can enjoy, a world with no pollution, and no waste. It is not just about the future generation though, even we can enjoy a much more healthy and greener world, if only we understand the due measures needed to help save the environment. 

An important step is to raise awareness, especially in our youth, about the importance of Mother Nature and her well-being. The more informed we and our youth are, the better we can be at protecting Mother Nature from harsh and adverse effects of pollution and harmful materials, such as plastic.

Once we understand the need for a better way of living, the next step is striving for sustainability. We must begin the change from our own homes, then in our communities, in our ecosystems, and ultimately around the world.

Start by prioritizing to reduce waste at home, for example, use cloth towels and cloth diapers instead of disposable ones. Opting to drink filtered water rather than bottled. Using reusable drinking straws instead of plastic straws we take for granted so much. By understanding the need for change, we can easily see so many ways in which we can reduce the waste we produce.

Reusing items is especially important, consider reusable coffee pods, or metal/silicone-based straws. How about repairing old items instead of just throwing them out and buying new ones. How about using digital notepads for the To-Do lists instead of paper.

Prioritize waste reduction, then reusability, and then follow it up with recycling of materials. Recycling concept has been around for decades, many countries have implemented ingenious ways to spread awareness of its importance and have embedded it within its community. 

Another benefit of sustainable living is that it helps in reducing our consumption of resources. Sensor based water taps, or motion-sensors for turning the light off and on to reduce consumption. How about considering alternate energy for our homes or offices. And how about raising your own vegetables in the backyard. Next time you go to the grocery store, make sure to look for products labeled with organic or fair trade certification as they are made with sustainable practices.

Sustainable living can be challenging at first, but in the long run the savings and benefits tremendously weight out the negative effects to the environment.