In the last two decades alone, the changes that have happened in the world have been so rapid and in the world of sustainability, there have been changes that are happening out of necessity to help our planet. The pandemic has been a platform to host a whole new way of working and in turn has hosted a range of ways to be more sustainable. These emerging trends within sustainability are encouraging to get people to jump on the green bandwagon and being in lockdown has uncovered many potential sustainable ways of living.
Hybrid Living and Working
The pandemic has changed so much about the way we conduct our lives and interactions and this includes the way in which we work. Hybrid Living and Working has become the norm for many people and navigating this looks like it’s here to stay even after the lockdown is over.
Hybrid living and working refer to a mix between virtual and in-office attendance. Many companies have seen virtual working and working from home works and it accommodates the needs for that company or business. So hybrid working is a great way to accommodate both ways of working and as a result, is more sustainable. Statistics show that the majority of people would prefer to work from home or hybrid work after the pandemic.
Hybrid working will result in a more convenient way of working as commute times will be severely reduced which in turn will lead to less carbon-heavy travel and less time. This is a sustainability trend that will not only lead to decreased carbon footprints but can be expected to be a long-lasting way of future working.
Upcycling Clothing and Sustainable Accessories
The fast fashion industry is one of the most contributing sectors to the damage of our planet and the demand and processes of the fast fashion industry mean that more and more people are turning to slow fashion and upcycling techniques.
The fashion industry is one of the most innovative when it comes to upcycling and sustainability and this is most definitely one of the sustainability trends that is not going anywhere. From the unethical sourcing of materials to the high energy consumption to make fast fashion garments, upcycling clothing is a great solution to these problems and repurpose clothing that already exists.
By choosing to shop at second-hand clothing stores and making new items out of the clothes you might already have, you might have a whole new wardrobe without the expense of impacting the planet. The diversity of slow fashion brands like Lucy and Yak give options to people of all shapes and sizes and allow your ethical and environmentally conundrums to be put to ease.
Alongside upcycling fashion, you already have, sourcing sustainable brands when purchasing anything new is also something that so many people are turning to. For example with accessories alone, you could make sustainable choices. Statistics show that over half the world will be wearing glasses by the end of 2050. You can click here that there are many eco-friendly options and alternatives that you can go for instead. Now that’s a lot of pairs of glasses so making the everyday accessories more sustainable is a must to make a difference.
Green Financial Literacy
Living in the age of information, this also extends to the information we have about our financial situations including how we decide to bank. Consumers want to live more consciously and knowing that they are reducing their plastic and energy consumption is easy to monitor when they’re actively doing it, but what about when other companies are involved in their decision making?
Making more sustainable purchase decisions is a sustainability trend that we hope to see more of. The term green finance is a way to ensure that the way you’re banking is not contributing to the climate crisis. This can include deforestation and oil and gas mining, you can look into this by looking at the companies that your bank is partnered with and make your decisions from there. You can demand transparency from your bank and if you’re not happy with it, find a bank that aligns with your ethics and needs.
Sustainable Beauty Brands
The beauty industry is now starting to spearhead in being more sustainable and centring sustainability as primary for their company. Larger companies who don’t partake in animal cruelty and ensure their products are vegan are growing in popularity. Beauty companies such as Lush use little to no packaging and encourage their customers to recycle the packaging they do have.
By reducing the carbon footprint with as well as their other climate positive actions, makes these types of companies a winner for more eco-minded customers and consumers. The more traditionally sourced beauty companies are now also trying to make lines and products that are more climate-friendly which is predicted to just continue to grow over the years. This type of beauty company is taking the industry by storm and is more than a trend and is the way the beauty industry will make its mark to be a more sustainable sector.
Reusable Materials, the death of single-use plastic
Replacing single-use plastics in our everyday life has pretty much become sustainability 101. The use of single-use plastics has proven to be very detrimental to the environment. In the UK alone, there is a charge on single-use plastic bags and the switch has been made from plastic straws to paper straws in bars and restaurants.
The use of reusable water bottles and coffee cups have become more popular which highlights the trend of reducing single-use plastic amongst consumers. Switching from single-use plastic to its reusable counterpart is one the easiest things you can do to begin to live a more sustainable life.
Truly Doing it Yourself
DIY or do it yourself is a sure-fire way to know what you are using without the reliance of knowing all about a company and their ethics. From creating body scrubs from old coffee grounds to creating your own moisturiser to repurposing old fruit peels into candles, turning to DIY hacks and the tip is a great way to turn to more sustainable options and is becoming more and more popular.