Green Living A Comprehensive Guide to a Happy and Sustainable Life

by Unknown

• ISBN13: 9781631067204
• ISBN10: 1631067206
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2022-04-12
• Publisher: Rock Point

Summary

Do you aspire to live a green or zero-waste life, but just don’t know where to begin? Green Living is here to guide you to an eco-friendly lifestyle through approachable, easy-to-implement strategies.

Authored by the successful GreenMatters.com website, which is dedicated to making news and topics across sustainability and innovation accessible to everyone, this indispensable resource is packed with suggestions and ideas to implement sustainable living in all areas of your life and home. You’ll be inspired to dive deeper into green living and feel empowered by your choice to help the environment and create a healthier household.

Learn not just the “why” of going green, but the “how,” with quick-and-easy tips to substitute unsustainable and unhealthy products with greener options. Each chapter has Seed, Sprout, and Tree steps to help meet you where you’re at and develop your green practices in a way that works with your lifestyle. With additional micro-actions and tips throughout as well as definitions for commonly used green terminology, this book is for people just getting started or those looking to learn more eco-friendly hacks.

Save money (and the planet) with easy steps like switching to single-use alternatives like reusable straws and cloth shopping totes. Also, find resources to help you get creative and reuse materials you already have for a new purpose, from DIY pet toys to home decor, minimizing what you buy and preventing materials from going into the landfill. Other topics covered:
 

• Recycling and composting
• Eco-friendly cleaning
• Minimalist organizing
• Green beauty
• Sustainable fashion

This comprehensive guide to green will take a permanent place on your bookshelf as you return to it again and again on your journey to sustainability.

Author Biography

Green Matters, the fastest-growing green lifestyle media company, is dedicated to making news and topics across sustainability and innovation accessible to all. They help bring awareness to global issues and solutions, and hope to inspire you to make simple changes to your daily habits and lifestyle. Green Matters believes that many small actions can collectively make a big difference in ensuring a healthy planet for generations to come. Learn more at greenmatters.com.

Table of Contents

Introduction
 
What is green living?
 
•    Living with intention and  consideration for  the  planet.
 
•    The Triple P's of Sustainability: People, Profit, Planet
 
•    A low-impact and minimalistic lifestyle can  help  you  feel more connected to the  world around you,  less weighed down in clutter and lead  to a healthier wellness routine.
Helpful Definitions
 
•    30 important eco-friendly terms defined (ex:  sustainability, zero-waste, single-use, life-cycle analysis, compostable, biodegradable, minimalism, ethical manufacturing, social  enterprise, b-corporation, upcycling etc)
Zero Waste Living
 
•    Life-cycle Analyses: A breakdown of the  environmental impact of single­ use plastics made from oil  and  single-use paper household items made from trees.
•    Plastic  Alternatives: why  they're better for  the  environment, your  wallet and health plus helpful uses and tips:  Aluminum, glass, stainless steel, bamboo
•    Exercise: Single-Use Checklist: Reusable coffee container, reusable water bottle, reusable zip-lock bags,  beeswax wrap, cloth shopping totes, reusable straws, reusable cloths etc  (a long  checklist of single-use product alternatives to slowly build a zero-waste household and  phase out  unnecessary waste)

 

•    Recycling and  composting: How  to sort  recycling, compost food and helpful tips  to teach your family and  friends
A Green Clean
 
•    Life-cycle analyses: A breakdown of the  environmental impact of different clothes washing options (water use, energy, fossil  fuel depletion and  carbon emissions considered) and  a breakdown of  where cleaning ingredients come from and how they  impact your health and the  environment.
•    Laundry: Tips  to reduce water-use, micro-plastic pollution, and  choose
 
ingredients better for  your health and  the  environment.
 
•    Minimalist Organizing: Optimize space  and reduce clutter and  stress  by narrowing in on the  essentials at home.
•    Exercise: How  To Make  Your  Own Easy Eco-Friendly Cleaners: Castille soap+ essential oils+  water in different ratios can make floor cleaner, bathroom, kitchen and  even  laundry detergent!
 
 
Green Beauty
 
•    Life-cycle analyses: A breakdown of the  environmental impact of switching to cloth makeup wipes, reusable cloths, non-plastic toothbrushes vs. single use beauty care  options.
•    What is green beauty? Labels to look  out  for and  what they  mean.
 
•    Makeup and  Skincare ingredients: Tips  for choosing ethically sourced ingredients that are cruelty-free, healthy for  your  skin and  the environment.
•    Exercises: How  to upcycle your  own makeup wipes  from old  clothes
 
•    Ingredient checklist, things to avoid on labels  for a safer  clean: (parabens, phthalates, toluene, etc.)
 
 
Sustainable Apparel
 
•    Life-cycle analyses: A breakdown of the  environmental impact of fast fashion vs. sustainable fashion
•    What is slow,  sustainable and  ethical fashion? : It's important to learn  the story behind your clothes. Sustainable fashion is made using non-

 

exploitative conditions that  have  low-impact on the  environment during manufacturing and utilize recycled or up-cycled materials.
•    Thrifting Guide:  How  to find  what you  need at the  thrift store and  donate regularly
•    Exercise: Closet Detox: How  to go through your wardrobe and  do  a green-clean to minimize space  and prioritize long-lasting products.
•    Sustainable fabrics guide and  definitions: (deadstock fabric, upcycling,
 
recycled fibers,  vegan leather, fur alternatives)
 
 
 

Life


 
•    How  to talk  to your  friends and  family about green-living
 
•    Sustainable activity, date and  vacation ideas
 
•    How  to keep  yourself accountable, tips  to make  sustainability a habit
 
•    Sustainability tracker "This Month I  Saved": An easy monthly checklist to get  an estimate of how  many trees,  waste, carbon emissions, water waste you  saved  by choosing sustainable alternatives. Check  back  each month to see how  you've improved.
•    How  to get  involved in your  local  community (farmers markets,
 
supporting local  artisans, volunteer ideas).