April 19, 2021
6 tips for more sustainability – for eco-advanced users
by Lena Severin
Sustainability has long since ceased to be a trend and thanks to the ever-increasing demand, more and more green brands are springing up. Upcycling and DIY tutorials and advertisements from sustainable companies regularly flood our screens. Jute bags, beeswax cloths, wooden toothbrushes, packaging-free stores, bags and bikinis made from old fishing nets, eco-homestays... the list could go on forever. The options for sustainable alternatives in everyday life are diverse and even outside of everyday life there are now more and more ways to afford a small (or large) green luxury.
Anyone who already knows JUNGLÜCK knows: We LOVE sustainability. We are an environmentally conscious company that has designed its supply chain and business operations to be as environmentally friendly as possible from the very beginning. From the procurement of individual resources to your bathroom and your skin and hair: The goal is always to keep our impact on our environment as low as possible, but to keep the impact of our global social commitment as high as possible. And to communicate this to our community. Because #rethinkingstartswithyou.
That's why I'd like to share with you 6 of my favorite, slightly more unusual tips that you can use to integrate more sustainability into your life without much effort. But don't worry! Even if this is all completely new territory for you, you might find some initial inspiration for a greener life here.
- Minimalism is “in”
- Is this art or can it be thrown away?
- Vintage Wall-Art with a difference
- Urban Jungle – protects the environment and your wallet
- Indoor climate: Holiday in the apartment
- Clean hard drive, sustainable data
1. Minimalism is “in”
Do I really need this? When did I last wear this shirt? Do I still like this vase? Will I ever use the “Prince Charming Baking Pan” that I got back then as a not so funny gag? Probably not. And if you're now thinking: “Prince Charming Baking Pan”? That's right! And I'm pretty sure that you and everyone else has one of these dust collectors lying around somewhere, hidden and forgotten. So off with the prince into an old box and start clearing out! Take a rainy day, put on some music and go through your rooms. And yes, your closet too. I personally love the scene from the first Sex and the City film where the four ladies clear out Carry's closet together, she puts on a little fashion show and with champagne, good music and the right company it turns into a pretty fun event! OK, it's difficult to get four people into a room in a corona-compliant way at the moment, but maybe a good friend will be enough. And if all else fails: FaceTime, Skype and Zoom are just a few clicks away. Why not turn it into a clean-up and swap campaign? Who knows, maybe you'll find something in someone else's closet or junk that can find a new home with you and vice versa? But if you can't find a grateful buyer: you can get rid of a lot of things through local second-hand shops, social welfare agencies, eBay and vinted (formerly Kleiderkreisel). There are even recycling programs for broken clothes, fabric scraps, old cleaning rags and so on. Find out about them in your city and make some space in your four walls.
2. Is this art or can it be thrown away? Creative upcycling!
I find nothing worse than wanting to let off steam creatively and then having square meters of homemade works of art, of which I can only fit half at most in my room, but actually only really need one. Anyone who, like me, likes to create things and let off steam artistically will probably know the problem. We have shelves full of handmade clay vases, bowls, candles and candlesticks, pictures and paintings fill our walls, macramés and maybe even a hand-knotted tapestry lie sadly in a corner due to lack of space. The room is bursting at the seams and we are about to go into the next lockdown. Time to get rid of some art objects and make room for new ones (Lockdown activity #2178387: painting bed linen. More on that later). So what to do with all the creative works? First idea: give them away. Who do you want to make happy? Who has a birthday coming up? Are there any other festivities coming up? And even more importantly: will the person be happy about it? Yes? Great! No? Let's move on... It's really amazing what you can get rid of on eBay. Take a few high-quality photos against a neutral background, preferably well lit and with close-up shots so that it can be seen clearly. Personally, I always try to win a few euros with it at the beginning, because, well, why not. You can always offer it as a gift.Another gift-giving idea for city dwellers: Here in Munich, when you go for a walk (lockdown activity #1), you often see boxes of all kinds of stuff in front of the front door, with the inscription: Free to give away. You wouldn't believe what I've gotten rid of. From leftover Ikea items to worn-out shoes and broken cups to an old shower curtain. Everything. Goes. Away.
Now for lockdown activity #2178387. In order to satisfy my creative urge, but at the same time not have to fill canvas after canvas and then throw them away again, I've switched to painting my basic T-shirts with textile paint. This way I'm killing three birds with one stone: I'm happily busy, I'm creating something new that saves space, and I end up with a pretty nice, unique piece. Ergo: the bed linen is now being embellished!
3. Vintage Wall-Art with a twist
If you're into vintage, my next tip could be just right for you. You can usually find lots of old photos, whole albums and advertising posters, at flea markets, in second-hand shops or on eBay. Maybe you'll find what you're looking for in the photo collection of your grandparents or older family friends. Old black and white, sepia or faded color photographs look great on their own, without a frame or other distraction, as a wall collage or on their own. And it's great fun to select, arrange and hang the pieces. I have lots of smaller pictures scattered around my apartment, so there's something to discover in every room.4. Urban Indoor Jungle – protects the environment and your wallet
What you can do with clothes and things you've thrown out, you can also do with plants and their cuttings: a swap meet! The perfect solution for all green thumbs out there, because it's much cheaper (in fact, it's free) than buying new plants and it makes the indoor gardener's heart beat faster when you can watch them grow.Your friends aren't so keen on home greenery? Ebay can help! Yes, plant fans can also offer cuttings here, not necessarily for free, but for (usually) little money.
Haven't discovered your green thumb yet? Then friends and eBay are a wonderful and inexpensive place to start! If something goes wrong and your little one doesn't survive, it's at least a small consolation that you didn't invest huge sums of money. But please, get expert advice beforehand about which plant is suitable for your apartment and how it needs to be cared for so that your green thumb has a chance!
5. Indoor climate – relaxation in the home
From the plants, which significantly improve the indoor climate and somehow bring more life into the house, we now move on to the humidity. Especially in winter and in the transitional period, the indoor air that we breathe most of the day is very dry due to the heating. This also makes our mucous membranes drier, irritated and germs, viruses and bacteria have an easier time. Of course, there are wonderful devices that optimally control the indoor climate, filter the air and are definitely recommended. The reality is, however, that people often don't have the money for such things. So I started putting a bowl of water on my heater so that the slowly evaporating water keeps the air in my room a little more humid and better for my mucous membranes. I got through the winter pretty well that way, even without a sore throat!For the past few weeks, I've been itching to be out and about and travel again. At the moment, of course, that's not possible at all. To counteract the frustration, I've stocked up on various essential oils from my local organic store, which I add to the water depending on my mood. Frankincense, lavender and sandalwood remind me of different countries I've traveled to. This way, at least my sense of smell can reach beyond borders.
6. Clean hard drive, sustainable data
Sustainable database? Oh yes! Sustainability is also an inner attitude and can be applied wonderfully online, I think. After all, it's about questioning yourself and your consumer behavior, and that includes the many snapshots and snapshots that we collect. So, the hard drive would also be happy about a spring cleaning! Will we ever look at all 10 pictures of the pizza we ate in Italy in 2019 again? I don't think so. How about highlight folders, compiled slide shows? If you've made videos, you can edit short films together. Of vacations, trips or even a whole year... It's much more fun to look at this kind of data again, instead of aimlessly scrolling through 874 unsorted pictures from your last vacation.
Sustainability is a question of attitude. We are happy about every head we can inspire to think differently and about every exchange that arises on the topics that concern us every day: sustainability, skin care and a holistic lifestyle. With that in mind: have a green day!
My personal tip for everyone who already has JUNGLÜCK in their bathroom: Our glass bottles and jars and even the packaging can be wonderfully repurposed and upcycled. In our new Instagram reel, we show you a few ideas: