If anything will inspire you to go green, it’s the time of the year when everything blossoms and sunshine greets you every morning you walk out of the door. And as this year’s spring is slowly washing the winter blues away, it seems that eco-friendly is the key lifestyle trend taking over the world one amazing solution at a time.
Thinking of becoming more eco-friendly and how you can adapt your life to serve this new purpose? There are a surprising number of ways, all the way from your wardrobe, appliances to the way you design your space that will contribute to this goal. Let’s take a look at some of the predominant trends to boost your nature-loving spirit!
Green Travel
All the way from carbon neutral flying with airlines that contribute to the projects meant to reduce carbon emission, to solar-powered air conditioning in your RV, there’s an increasing number of ways to travel with comfort and style while protecting the environment.
Hotels are also catching up, and they have taken a step further from encouraging guests to reuse clean towels to installing water-saving shower heads and toilets, significantly reducing their water usage. Some hotels go that extra mile by featuring local cuisine and using apps to keep track of guest records, checking in and out, to avoid using excess paper.
Eco-Friendly Fashion
Although it used to be seen as a sacrifice, opting for sustainable garments is now a huge fashion craze! With greater awareness of textile industry pollution, illegal and unfair labour conditions, and wasting water, comes a greater responsibility to shop with care. Mindful of these conditions, brands are now encouraging local production, and emphasizing their eco-friendly traits, such as durability and using the right fabrics.
This allows for many fashionable, but green opportunities to renew and maintain your wardrobe. Learn about materials such as organic cotton, bamboo and silk; invest in the right detergent that will keep your clothes undamaged; avoid plastic bags; and care for your footwear in order to use them longer. Buy vintage, or from your local designers, and steer clear of fast fashion, and you’ll not only have unique clothing items, but you’ll greatly contribute to the growing green spirit.
Sustainable Design
According to the Report on Green and Healthier Homes, starting from this year, a large portion of home builders expect over 60% of their projects to be based on eco-friendly designs. Although remodelling trends are not as green at the moment, they are heading there. This lets homeowners have a wider selection of home construction companies to choose from, while they have to keep up with the growing need for green home décor.
Smart lighting choices in addition to relying mostly on natural light, conserving water with smart kitchen and bathroom design, and using solar panels as an energy source both for electricity and heat are just some of the numerous growing trends in home improvement. This year will also continue the trend of giving your home an organic touch with natural materials in design such as stone or reused wood, and plenty of greenery that will boost oxygen levels and serve as natural air purifiers.
DIY and repurposing vintage and rejected items is another way to preserve a minimalistic sense in your home, without taking away any of its character and uniqueness. Visit your local salvage or antique store and browse through various rejected objects that will give your home charisma, and help preserve nature. Moreover, this splash of raw, natural objects will give diversity to an otherwise smart-oriented home, designed with clever techy solutions. Both looks complement each other, create a balance and contribute to saving the planet.
Natural Skincare and Makeup
Along with the last year’s boom of organic and locally-grown food, and additive-free grass-fed animal products, the cosmetics industry has come a long way in delivering products with nature and environment in mind. As much as they are good for your health with their natural ingredients and no toxins, brands that are investing in green skincare and makeup are also allowing a more minimalistic approach to your beauty regime.
Encouraging you to keep your list of necessities short, and pick multi-purpose items that weren’t animal-tested, these companies are showing more awareness of eco-friendly benefits, both to you as their customer, and to their production chain.
With modern technology’s soaring advances, our own health priorities, and growing awareness of our planet’s troubles, we are no longer wondering if, but how we can contribute to preserving our environment and improve the quality of our lives. Start your spring cleaning by learning about green home appliances, cleaning supplies and fashion items, and you’ll be well on your way to create a whole new, eco-friendly lifestyle!