It’s no secret we all face a serious trash problem today, and that “serious” is an understatement. Landfills are brimming with waste and mounds of trash are finding their way to the ocean – harming ecosystems and industries in unprecedented ways.

When the liability of an ailing environment falls on us, so does the burden of finding solutions and innovative means to change for the better. While we’re past the onset of technological leaps and bounds, changes both big and small in the amount of waste we put out all contribute to stave off complete ecological breakdown. Here are some tips to get you started.

1. Avoid disposables

To reduce the amount of trash you’ll be throwing away, buy less of what are – by their very nature – disposed of. A quick look around you and a prompt reflection of the things you purchase on an everyday basis will drive you to the conclusion that we simply throw too much stuff away.

• Go for reusables

Many establishments have already begun providing incentives to encourage the use of reusables. For example, some coffee shops now take a few cents off your bill for bringing in your own tumbler or mug. Some groceries now charge for the use of plastic and paper bags – forcing you to purchase and bring reusable shopping bags on your own accord.

While reusable shopping bags are mostly rather inexpensive and accessible (especially online), if plastics bags are simply unavoidable, you may reuse these to line smaller rubbish bins at home.

A lot of things on the market now come in reusable variants. For example, plastic drinking straws (which are especially harmful for the environment and marine ecosystems) now come in stainless steel. It takes just a little bit of extra looking to find more eco-friendly variants of whatever it is you seek.

• Make friends with your local waste recycling station staff

Send them gifts of tin and aluminum cans, used plastic bottles and other containers, old yellow pages, and even your empty ink cartridges. There’s a whole list of things that recycling stations accept that you might want to check out if you have the time.

• Buy items in bulk

While, yes, buying things in larger amounts sounds contradictory to the goal of reducing your waste, buying in bulk actually uses up less packing material than buying something in smaller, individual parts.

• Sell, trade, or reconstruct your furniture

Old and damaged furniture takes up quite a large space in landfills and junkyards. The sad thing is that they don’t even have to be there. Lots of people would still be very much interested in purchasing your old furniture – either to reuse them or use the parts to make something new. The pieces resulting from deconstructing old furniture are actually great starting points for new and innovative pieces.

• Go for LED light bulbs instead

Your typical fluorescent or halogen light bulb not only uses up more electricity, but is more likely to meet its end much earlier than an LED light bulb will. LED bulbs also produce less heat, tend to be brighter despite its lesser electricity consumption, and last several thousand hours longer than their obsolete counterparts – making it the perfect pro-environment bulb.

• Curb your compulsive buying

You pass by a lot of things that are good to look at and likewise look great to have. Truth be told, a lot of products go through rigorous planning and design to produce this effect, so it’s really not your fault if you’re unable to resist their pull. You will want to at least learn to develop some self-control for the goal of waste reduction, as a lot of what you purchase on a whim tends to end up in the rubbish.

• Don’t replace what you can fix

With capitalism and consumerism deeply ingrained in our culture, we wind up – again – making unnecessary purchases. Should a little scratch, a mild inconvenience, or any slight tic to an object or product throw you off, most tend to rush to get a replacement. Instead, consider the following mindset: if you can’t use it, fix it. If you can’t fix it, get a professional to fix it. If a professional can’t fix it, throw it away. The norm is to jump right to that last step, but to save the environment requires that you refrain from doing so.

On that note…

• Fix leaking pipes and faucets

The spillage of unused water isn’t waste in the typical sense in that it isn’t garbage, but it still ultimately amounts to an unnecessary wastage if you look at the big picture. It doesn’t take too long to apply some sealant or tighten openings, but if you really can’t spare the time (or if the problem is a lot deeper than you’d initially discerned it to be), a phone call to your local plumber won’t last longer than five minutes.

1. Segregate your trash

We’ve set ourselves up in such a way that – despite all these tips – producing trash and waste is simply just unavoidable. However, this isn’t a fate that you should necessarily resign to. Segregating trash is a really simple way to reduce your trash footprint – so simple, in fact, that it gets overlooked as being effective in any way. But as a lot of the previous points have shown, you could produce a lot less waste by making consciously ecological choices. Imagine all the recyclables that could have, well, been recycled if you’d only put them in the right bin.

Most of these tips really just boil down to making more informed and conscious decisions. You’d be producing a lot less waste by continuing the research you’re doing now – these tips are only to get you started and prompt you to come up with your own novel ideas.

It’s a designers job to stay up-to-date with the latest developments in the industry. If you’ve been keeping an eye out on trends in the world of design, you’ll see that contemporary graphic design is moving more and more towards flat and functional design.

This applies not just to mobile applications, but websites as well.  But why is this happening?

One reason is because websites need to be mobile responsive. That is, they need to be optimized for the smaller screens of mobile devices, so it’s only natural for designers to want to implement a flat and simple design to their websites.

As a designer, you can’t escape the inevitable, especially if you’re working for clients. To avoid potential losses in your graphic design business, make it a point to educate yourself and your design team how flat design works and why it’s important. Face it. It’s here to stay!

It’s Minimalist In Nature

Flat graphic design rejects any extraneous graphics and images that just clutter the user interface, on both mobile apps and websites. What results then is a two-dimensional and, in some cases, monochromatic UI. In other cases, bright and vivid colors are juxtaposed with flat and simple icons.

While it could contrast with the minimalist look of any flat theme, designers make use of the pantone scheme to come up with a complementing set of colors to avoid confusion and clutter for the user.

The first known example of contemporary flat design in the computer industry is the design of Microsoft’s Windows 8 operating system, wherein the tech company got rid of the old desktop icons in previous operating systems, replacing them with flat and simple icons. It may have been a competitor response to Apple’s iOS design, and Windows 8 might not have been very successful as an OS, but in terms of design, the system’s flat design was a hit.

Information Is Presented Briefly and In a Concise Manner

Because it’s minimalist in nature, any text found in the design is brief and to the point. True to the design theme’s preference for “less clutter, more functionality,” tool tips and other descriptions have as few words as possible to avoid consuming space that can be otherwise used for more icons or maximized to optimal effect.

While it looks easy to design, implementing flat design can actually be a complicated exercise. To summarize, however, what you’ll need is a good sense of complimenting colors, which takes a lot of experimentation and editing using graphic design software. The results, however, are definitely worth the effort.

Flat Design for your Smartbag

There are certain mediums and print methods, screenprinting in particular, that have always inadvertently leant themselves to flat design due to restrictions within the print process.

Branded, custom printed Smartbags are a good example of this where primary, flat colours reign supreme!

If you need advice on designing your flat design logo for your Smartbag contact us via email at sales@sge.net.au anytime or visit our website www.smartbag.com.au

For many, travelling is a way to get out of one’s comfort zone, see the world, and escape responsibilities. But just because you’re on holiday, doesn’t mean you should forget your responsibility to the environment.

While travelling can indeed be very taxing on the environment – using up huge amounts of jet fuel, paper, plastic, and so on – there are ways to minimise the impact your vacation, whether you’re going to Asia, Europe, or for a quick weekend in the Caribbean.

• Use reusable bags

There’s no denying just how destructive plastic bags are becoming. They’re filling up landfills, clogging and poisoning our bodies of water, and killing our wildlife. The statistics reflect this, placing our plastic use at 300 million tons per year, resulting in over 10 million pounds of trash being collected at beaches and waterways every year. While lots of countries have either outlawed or put a price on plastic bag use, many still haven’t, and paper bags miraculous waste-free alternative.

Reusable bags, in this case, are the ideal. Bring some with you as you journey the world for the obvious purposes of bagging your retail finds, groceries, and soiled clothes. Should you use a reusable bag for shopping purposes, be sure to keep your receipts to avoid being accused of shoplifting. Lawsuits take up more paper than you think.

• Pack less

No one really intends to pack heavy. Extra kilos in your luggage also mean extra expenses, after all. The thing is that heavier cargo requires more fuel output for dispatch – whether you’re travelling by plane or by ship. Take knowing that heavier luggage also results in greater carbon emissions as another disincentive for packing more than what you need.

Take a moment to fully visualise your trip. Make a list of the things you’ll really need based on what you’ve envisioned. The time you take to rationalise your luggage as opposed to succumbing to impulsiveness and worry could have a greater impact on the environment than you know.

• Pick your lodging wisely

It’s not all about what you bring to a trip – even where you decide to stay for its duration matters. Applying eco-friendly concepts to architecture and design is a relatively new practice, so your average accommodation may not follow eco standards.

There are, however, ways for you to determine whether a hotel is the eco-friendly choice for lodging. For one, check if it has a pool. Pools, as you would know, waste huge quantities of water and chemicals for their maintenance. At the end of the day, flying across the world to swim in a hotel pool is probably not a good idea.

You can also check for a LEED certification. What is LEED? Their website states that “LEED certification means healthier, more productive places, reduced stress on the environment by encouraging energy and resource-efficient buildings, and savings from increased building value, higher lease rates and decreased utility costs.” Organisations like the “Green” Hotels Association, the Center for Sustainable Tourism, and even National Geographic serve similar purposes.

• Avoid inefficient transportation

Flying seems to be the go-to means of transportation for most tourist destinations. However, plane flights use up a lot of fuel and are generally very costly and inefficient in their operations. Of course, some destinations you can’t help but fly to given the limitations of space and time (not everyone has weeks to spend for a cruise to Spain and back). The most you can do in cases like this is opt for direct flights. The shortest distance between two points is always a straight line, and a shorter distance means fewer carbon emissions. Same goes for travelling by water – if you’re taking a cruise, opt for shorter trips. If you can drive or take a train to your destination, that would be ideal.

That’s for getting to your destination. On to getting around once you’ve arrived. Renting private vehicles is a great way to contribute to global warming and limit your immersion. On top of that, a rented vehicle is an added responsibility to what could have otherwise been a relatively stress-free trip. Opt for public transportation like buses and trains, take taxis if you really can’t avoid it, or better yet rent a bike if you know how to ride one.

• Act in a hotel as you would at home

A common mistake among tourists is to abuse the services and amenities at a hotel. While, yes, you might not be directly footing the expenses for water and electricity, the environmental impact remains nonetheless the same. Reuse your clean towels a few times before trading them in for new ones. Switch off lights and appliances that aren’t in use – especially before leaving your hotel room to go about your tourist-ing. Be careful not to soil bed and pillow coverings to avoid having to replace them. In short: treat your hotel room as you would your home.

• Make adjustments to your home before you leave

Eco-friendly travel involves more than just the trip itself. More than destination, going on an eco-friendly trip also requires some adjustments to the home you leave behind. Supposing there isn’t anyone you’ll be leaving behind, consider tweaking the settings to your heating or cooling systems. Make sure that all lights and appliances have been turned off. Unplugging them is also a good idea as plugged appliances still take up electricity even when off – also preventing any untoward fires from occurring. If you have any pets or children, taking them to the pound or consigning them to a relative’s care is a fantastic idea both in terms of safety and eco-friendliness.

If there’s anything you can learn from these tips, it’s that travel need not be a wasteful activity. With some planning and mindfulness, you can reduce your impact on the environment and set an example for others to follow.

The world’s landfills are filling up, and one would expect them to, given that the average person produces as much as 5 pounds of trash in a day. From those 5 pounds, most say that only about a quarter of that amount can be recycled. The call, then, is to innovate new ways to reuse the things you already have on hand but would otherwise wind up in the rubbish. The best part? Reusing an object Here are some to get you started:

• Glass jars

You can get these at the dollar store and even supermarkets. A lot of products have also reverted from plastic back to glass packaging, so you’re likely to already have some of these – reusing is the name of the game, after all.

Glass jars tend to be repurposed to store herbs, spices, other ingredients (if it’s large enough, maybe even cereal), however these can be used for so many other needs. These could serve as desk pen holders or drilled holes into to be used as pots for plants. Its uses aren’t even limited to containing – pick up a food canning hobby or keep kids occupied by giving them some to paint or otherwise decorate.

• Plastic bags

It’s no secret that plastic bags have practically taken over the planet – they’re in the hands of every customer regardless of the kind of establishment they just came from, piling up in landfills, and even drifting aimlessly along roads and sidewalks. This has brought local governments and even establishments themselves to outlaw plastic bags either through charging a little extra for each bag or outright banning them, forcing customers to use paper bags or bring their own reusable bags.

Plastic bag policies aren’t universal, however, so if you wind up having some on hand, you might as well make the most of them. Plastic bags are useful for lining rubbish bins, reused to carry things around, separate soiled clothes from the other contents of a bag you intend to keep clean, and so on.

Should you find yourself running out of alternative uses for them, you may always choose to approach a local recycling center with them.

• Dryer waste

Too many sources online are eager to give you alternative uses for dryer sheets once they’ve served their original purpose, however, none will warn you just how toxic these can be. Dryer sheets are laden with benzyl acetate, benzyl alcohol, and even chloroform, among many other chemicals. Reusing and doing your part for the rehabilitation of our environment are both great endeavours, but you will have to remember to draw the line where self-sacrifice starts – you can’t save the environment if you wind up sick!

That doesn’t mean dryer waste is entirely useless, however. For example, dryer lint can be repurposed into bedding for your small rodent pets. Dryer lint is also the cause of over 2,900 fires in the United States alone. Put that flammability to good use in your next camping trip. Dryer lint is one of those especially biodegradable materials, making it great for compost or mulching plants in the cold.

• Toothbrushes

You might think your old toothbrush is over, done – passé. Its use actually extends indefinitely no matter how aggressively you’ve used it to scrub your mouth clean.

For food preparation, you can use a toothbrush to brush out the silks from a corn cob or clean out a coffee grinder – just be sure to thoroughly clean the brush before you do. If you, like many others, have the terrible habit of eating over your computer keyboard, a toothbrush should suffice in removing the crumbs from those hard-to-reach spots. Those who use makeup know that mascara clumps terribly. A cleaned toothbrush does wonders in removing these clumps and keeping your lashes neat and in order.

• Used paper products

Offices and other kinds of work place are rife with paper products just waiting to be reused. Copy machines often have a garbage nearby to dispose your flukes to. However, some others come in friendlier-looking forms like a basket clearly designated for placing scratch paper in. If your office copy machine doesn’t have one, you could always set one up yourself. Used paper envelopes work great, too but are much harder to come across. Unused greeting cards, outdated paper flyers, old memos – these and all the other countless paper products you come across every day are great for jotting down quick notes, grocery lists, and so on.

• Leftover food

The leftover greens from that salad you forced yourself to chow down on the night before, used coffee and tea grounds, crushed egg shells, pastries, the fruits you accidentally let overripe, and so on don’t have to go in the trash. Nature didn’t make landfills, so these things were meant to go back into the ground. Make the most out of the natural process of decomposition by strategically composting your leftovers in a compost pile along with some dried leaves you may have lying about.

Take not, however, that there are some things you can’t compost. Meat, bones, fat, animal skin – be they from fish, beef, pork, or poultry – are huge no-nos in composting. In fact, egg shells might be the only material from animals that are safe to compost; grease, animal oils, and all forms of dairy have no place in compost piles.

• Old clothes

Donating clothes that may no longer fit you or your children anymore to orphanages, disaster-struck areas, or the otherwise less fortunate is always a great idea. However, it’s still useful to know that these can be repurposed into mops, rags, rugs, quilts, and so many others. Fabric is an incredibly versatile material to work with as its uses and reusability are pretty much unparalleled.

The good news is that many of these household items are probably in your home right now, which means you’re just one step away from living a more sustainable lifestyle. Good luck!

Today’s world is not only expensive to live in, our lifestyles are also very taxing on Mother Nature. If you’re someone who’s caught in the trap of endless cycle of consumption, your day-to-day activities may be inadvertently hurting the environment.

The simplest way to change is by making your home more environmentally sustainable.

What is Environmental Sustainability?

When you talk about sustainability, it means you’re turning something that has to be maintained over an extended length of time into something more affordable in the long-term. This means that you’d have to look at your decisions from a certain perspective while asking yourself the question, “Just how long can I maintain this kind of expense with the cash flow that I have?”

Adding “environmental” into the mix, this simply means making decisions that can both save money in the long term while minimising your impact on the environment.

• Upgrade to the Latest Appliances

Are your appliances more than 10 or 15 years old? Many homeowners make the mistake of believing that keeping their older appliances will save them money. Turns out, it might be hurting them, and their electricity bill, more.

While it may seem that you’ve saved some money by putting off an upgrade to the latest appliances, this unfortunately translates to higher power consumption. Older appliances are beasts when it comes to power consumption. A CRT TV, for example (those old box sets of your childhood) are vastly inefficient compared to the latest flat screen TVs.

• Be a Gardener

A green thumb is not something everyone is born with, but it doesn’t mean you can’t learn how to become a good gardener.

Maintaining a garden is not only a fulfilling hobby, it also helps in reducing carbon emissions. For starters, did you know that you can also grow your own food in your own backyard? You know what that means for your finances: you get to save money on food because they’re grown right in your own yard.

Just imagine. If everyone in your neighbourhood would start their own organic garden to grow their own food, it would reduce the fuel they’d use to go to the market, which in turn would reduce the fuel needed to transport food from farms to stores.

• Move Over Fluorescents, LEDs are Here to Stay

The eco-revolution has also made its way into the lighting industry. Countries all over the world have taken bold steps to phase out inefficient incandescent bulbs—Australia being one of the first to do so.

The alternatives are fluorescent lights, halogens, and light-emitting diode bulbs. But LEDs are beginning to replace aging fluorescent lamps and halogen bulbs, beating both devices in terms of lighting output, quality, and energy efficiency. Plus, LEDs have a lifespan that’s 15 times longer than your ordinary incandescent bulb. That’s savings from reduced electricity consumption and lighting replacements.

• Go Solar!

If you can afford it, then it’s good to set up a solar-powered electrical system in your home. You don’t even have to install a full-fledged solar-powered system. You can, for example, set up a system with fewer panels and a smaller battery, to power 30 percent of your home’s electricity consumption.

Although harnessing solar energy can be expensive, don’t forget that your government may offer tax breaks and incentives for if you install your own solar panels. You can even sell your excess electricity to your utility provider, which can then be fed back to the grid.

• Rain Barrels, Anyone?

Flooding is a serious problem, especially in highly urbanized cities. While flooding is typically caused by poor drainage systems, it can sometimes be traced back to an unusually high volume of rainfall. This presents an opportunity for you to put all that water to good use.

Of course, you first need to devise a way to collect rainwater. The simplest option is to place rain barrels around your property, which you can then use to water your plants and lawn, wash the driveway, and even wash the car. And remember, rainwater is free—it’s just a matter of figuring out how to collect rain and use it to offset your expenses.

• Be Smart with Your Air Conditioning and Heating

Let’s face it, during the summer cold air-conditioning is a necessity. Unfortunately, keeping your air conditioner running 24 hours a day 7 days a week can translate to a huge utility bill.

And the opposite holds true for when it comes to heating in the winter. If you have it running all throughout the day, don’t be surprised by your bill.

If you want to save money and still keep your HVAC system running, consider these options:

• Upgrade to a newer, more efficient HVAC system
• Look at your home’s insulation. Plug leaks where cold/hot air can escape, causing your AC/heater to work harder
• Program your HVAC system to run at select times of the day—you probably don’t need your AC running at night
• Keep your heater running at lower temperature. If it’s cold, bundle and wear a jumper and socks inside your home.

• Use Reusable Shopping Bags

Most people don’t really pay attention to single-use plastic bags. We get them with our purchases and throw them in the bin after. What’s the big deal, right?

But plastics are a major eco disaster waiting to happen. In fact, we’re seeing it happening right now. Somewhere in the Pacific Ocean is a floating soup of plastics and chemicals called the Great Pacific garbage patch. Most of the plastic we throw in the sea is carried by currents to this patch and other similar patches around the world.

Bottom line? Your plastic bags go somewhere after you throw them in the bin. But it need not be this way, not when you have alternatives like reusable shopping bags that are, well, reusable. Made from durable fabrics like cotton, jute, or canvas, reusable bags can be washed and reused when you go shopping or when you need something to carry multiple items.

Although these tips are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to sustainable practices in your home, they’re nevertheless a great place to start. Follow these tips and do your part to help protect the environment today.

Everyone knows what recycling is. The problem is that almost nobody really appreciates WHY they should recycle. Despite the best efforts of several organisations and governments worldwide, there are still some of us who don’t recycle at all.

But at a time when the environment is feeling the strain of pollution, everyone should be doing their part to recycle. What reasons do these people have for them to ignore such an important activity?

• They Don’t Look at the Long Term

Most people fail to grasp the long-term impact of recycling. They only think of immediate results; the problem is, recycling has a cumulative effect that can only manifest itself in the long term.

It’s no surprise that people treat recycling as simply a “trend” that ebbs and flows, to disappear later on. They’d probably give it a try, and then dismiss it after some time instead of getting it into their system.

• They Weren’t Informed

There are, of course, areas that information drives don’t reach that easily. In these areas, there are no efforts to introduce the concept of recycling to the population. Thus, the people there don’t know why they should be recycling their trash in the first place. This is not totally their fault, and governments should step up their efforts to get the good news across to these places.

• They Find It Inconvenient

True, it takes a lot of time to segregate your trash and identify which ones can be reused and which ones should be sent for disposal. That is not an excuse for not doing it, however. If people who don’t recycle can somehow make it a part of their routine, they’ll find out that segregating is as easy as counting from 1 to 3.

Again, this is because they probably don’t appreciate the long-term benefits that recycling can bring. They only see what is in front of them and, unfortunately, they find it a waste of their time.

• They Think It Doesn’t Make a Difference

What makes recycling complicated in other people’s eyes is that the benefits are not completely visible or readily felt. However, if you do a lot of research and find statistics about trash in your area (it should be available from the relevant government agency), then you can find specific information about how recycling makes a difference.

Try to check statistics on trash generated and trash recycled within a certain time period, and you’ll see that it does make a difference. It’s just not that visible when you don’t take a closer look.

So, now that you know the reasons why people typically don’t recycle, let’s look at the reasons why they should.

• Recycling Frees Up Landfills

We already know that waste that has to be disposed normally gets sent to landfills—large tracts of land dedicated to holding garbage.

Landfills, however, are a ticking time bomb of diseases and chemical contamination. As plastics decompose, they release greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere and leach chemicals into the soil. These greenhouse gasses can accumulate in the air and prevent the natural dissipation of heat into the atmosphere, raising the world’s temperature and changing the climate.

• Recycling Eliminates the Need to Clear Forested Areas

To accommodate the increased volume garbage, the government has no choice but to create new landfills, which means clearing up forested areas to be used as landfills. This means local wildlife are forcibly displaced from their natural habitats, forcing them to encroach on urban areas where they are at risk of being run over and killed.

If everyone actively recycled their garbage, the government won’t have to create new landfills to accommodate people’s trash. This also eliminates the need to cut trees, which are crucial to controlling carbon emission by “inhaling” carbon dioxide and “exhaling” oxygen for us to breathe.

• Recycling Actually Creates Jobs

Although large-scale recycling centres have automated equipment designed to segregate and process garbage, these machines still require actual people to operate them. It goes without saying that if more people recycled their waste, this would create more jobs in the waste disposal industry, creating more taxes that can help stimulate economic growth through infrastructure development.

• It Keeps Property Value from Depreciating

Although this is from a purely real estate perspective, it also makes sense. Theoretically, the value of a property appreciates over time under fair market conditions. However, external factors can easily affect the projected value of a house. For example, if the government were to construct a new landfill in your area, the market value of nearby properties are all but guaranteed to take a hit.

It all boils down to the question: “Who wants to live next to a landfill?”

Indeed, this is indicative of the holistic effect of trash management and recycling. It’s a global problem affecting anything and anyone caught in its way. If you own a posh home and you want to keep its value from going down, you should start thinking about recycling right now.

Closing Thoughts on Recycling

Recycling might be a practice that takes time to get used to, but it’s one that ultimately pays off in the long run. Its benefits are far reaching, impacting not just your home or city, but the entire country and the rest of the world. And when you commit to recycling every day, you’ll be amazed at how much of the stuff lying in your property that you think is junk can actually be reused and recycled. You can even make a bit of money off of them if you can find interested buyers.

Bottom line? It pays to do your part and recycle now.

When we speak of making a major lifestyle change, the first thing we often ask is, “What’s in it for me?” Perhaps that’s a thought that takes root from our “fight or flight” instinct. We are cautious about everything we do and so, we make sure there is something to be gained from whatever it is we’re about to embark on.

When it comes to lifestyles that are in vogue, the zero-waste lifestyle is probably one of the most popular out there today. It involves making several changes to your consumption habits that reduce your output of non-biodegradable waste.

While the environmental benefits of going zero-waste are easy to figure out, did you know that this lifestyle also has benefits for your general health?

Going Zero-Waste Reduces the Incidence of Diseases Caused by Landfills

Have you tried going to a landfill where all your city’s trash is dumped? Before recycling became a thing, landfills were the only destination for garbage in many cities and communities around the world. There, the garbage is left under the sun to decompose. In fact, a landfill is essentially a giant compost pit.

Now, let’s take a look at the process of decomposition. Decomposition is a natural process in which matter deteriorates into a form that is easily absorbed and consumed by microorganisms in the soil. We see decomposition all around us. For example, paper is a biodegradable material that decomposes in the soil in the right conditions.

With garbage, it’s a different matter.

Rotten food, for instance, attracts insects and pests when left to decompose on its own. It’s why you throw leftovers in the trash in the first place—so they can be taken away from your home and lead the flies and other household pests elsewhere. But everything has to go somewhere, which means that even if your waste isn’t at home, it’s joining everyone else’s trash in your city landfill, making it a Disneyland of sorts for pests like flies, mosquitoes, rats, mice, and roaches.

And where there are pests, there are also bacteria, viruses, and diseases. And the problem here is that these pests don’t just stay in landfills, they will go around and contaminate the objects they come in contact with, spreading diseases such as amoebiasis, leptospirosis, and others.

And it’s all because of the garbage we collectively throw in our landfills.

Reducing Your Waste Prevents Contamination of Groundwater

Aside from spoiled, rotten food, landfills are also filled to the brim with plastics. In fact, according to Clean Up Australia, “An estimated 3.76 billion bags or 20,700 tonnes of plastic are disposed of in landfill sites throughout Australia every year. Australians dump 7,150 recyclable plastic bags into landfills every minute or 429,000 bags every hour.”

The danger here is that plastics, which are essentially a byproduct of oil, release harmful chemicals into the ground as they decompose. The soil absorbs these chemicals, which, given time, eventually seeps down into the groundwater, contaminating a valuable water source for your community.

If everyone practices the zero-waste lifestyle, however, you’d be reducing your impact on landfills, helping control the spread of diseases and contamination of groundwater.

A Zero-Waste Lifestyle Also Helps Prevent Flooding and Flood-borne Diseases

As if flooding itself wasn’t devastating enough to infrastructure, it can also promote the spread of water-borne diseases. Rat urine, for instance, when mixed with floodwater can result to leptospirosis, a potentially fatal disease that tends to manifest symptoms when it’s too late.

But let’s backtrack a bit—what exactly causes flooding?

We know that it’s caused by an unusual volume of water, far more than the sewage system is designed to handle. It can also be caused by clogged sewage lines that impede the normal flow of water.

The latter is often the case in many parts of the world. And what prevents water from flowing smoothly out of exit points?

That’s right—garbage.

Unfortunately, many places around the world still have problems managing their waste. Countries like Bangladesh were crippled by flooding caused by blocked sewage lines that the government was forced to take the drastic action of banning plastic bags altogether.

But you don’t have to wait for a plastic bag ban. By making the conscious decision to reduce your plastic waste, you can do your part to reduce the volume of non-biodegradable items that clog sewage lines.

Tips to Start the Zero-Waste Lifestyle

The truth is, the most difficult part about going down the zero-waste path making the first step. This is where all the uncertainties and doubts weigh you down. But once you make the decision of reducing your waste drastically, things will get easier. You will find out that you’ll have integrated the zero-waste habit into your own personal system.

So, how does one start the zero-waste lifestyle? Here are some valuable tips for you to know:

• Segregate Your Trash

It’s time to say goodbye to the carefree days of just simply packing for disposal the items that you think you won’t be able to use again. Take some time to go through your trash and find out what items you can reuse, and separate them. Make sure you got some extra space to put them in.

• Find Some DIY Recycling Projects

There are lots of recycling projects that you can do with everyday stuff that you have in your house. This is also a great way to exercise your creativity, and keep your mind working. For example, you can buy a few meters of canvas fabric and make your own reusable shopping tote bags.

• Give Away Stuff that You Cannot Reuse but are Recyclable

Find recycling centers that can find a good use for your recyclable items that you don’t have any projects for. They’ll be more than happy to take your “trash.”

These are just three of the ways through which you can jump-start your journey towards the zero-waste lifestyle. They’re a good start, and you can build on them easily over time. Without knowing it, you’ve already made recycling and segregating a conscious habit that you automatically do without thinking about it.

“Sustainable lifestyle”—it’s the hot new buzzword capturing the fascination of many everyday consumers

So, what exactly does it mean to live a sustainable lifestyle? In a nutshell, sustainable living revolves around reducing your impact and use of the planet’s natural resources in whatever way possible. Ask anyone living a sustainable lifestyle about how to do it, and you’ll often get a variety of tips and pointers, all of which involve the challenge of minimising your carbon footprint, or the amount of carbon dioxide and carbon compounds generated by the use of fossil fuels, fossil fuel by-products, and objects that use fossil fuels.

Advocates of sustainable living are all about living their lives in a way that’s more respectful of the natural balance our society should strike with the earth’s ecology and natural resources.

Now for the big question: How do you live a sustainable lifestyle?

Below are 8 ways to help you do just that.

• Use Reusable Shopping Bags

Switching to reusable shopping bags is arguably the best way to cut back on having to use single-use plastic bags when you go shopping. According to Cleanup Australia, “Australians use 3.92 billion plastic bags a year, that’s over 10 million new bags being used every day. An estimated 3.76 billion bags or 20,700 tonnes of plastic are disposed of in landfill sites throughout Australia every year. Australians dump 7,150 recyclable plastic bags into landfills every minute or 429,000 bags every hour.”

Clearly, something has to be done to change this, and it all begins with the little things. The simple act of carrying a reusable bag in your daypack or purse and using it whenever you go to the grocery store goes a long way to cutting back on the unnecessary and wasteful use of plastics.

• Reduce Your Dependence on Plastics

And it’s not just plastic bags causing problems. We live in a world that’s become far too dependent on plastics, for the simple reason that it’s convenient.

Besides single-use plastic bags, you can cut your use of disposable plastic bottles by bringing your own water bottle, whether it’s a Nalgene bottle or a Kleen Kanteen tumbler. If you like to buy coffee at your local coffee shop, have it served in a mug you or bring your own coffee tumbler with you.

• Cut Back on Your Waste

Plastics are just one of many items that almost automatically go to the bin after just one use. You can also cut back on your waste by doing the following:

• Buying items like food and toiletries in bulk to cut back on unnecessary packaging
• Selling or donating furniture you no longer need (the same applies for any kind of goods for that matter)
• Avoiding disposable items like disposable razors, cups, spoons and forks, and even toilet paper
• Buy refills of common items to cut back on packaging

• Switch to LED Lighting

LED lighting is another simple investment that goes a long way toward reducing your carbon footprint. Light-emitting diode bulbs are up to 90 per cent more energy efficient than incandescent light bulbs. A better way of explaining this would be to think of the light generated by a 100-watt incandescent bulb; its LED equivalent would only need about 10 to 15 watts of electricity to generate the same intensity of light, if not more.

LEDs are also durable and long-lived, which means you won’t need to make as many replacements in X number of years, which in turn means fewer dead bulbs go to the landfill.

• Use Lighting Timers and Sensors

Lighting takes up a considerable percentage of any home’s electricity consumption. The Australian Government estimates that “Lighting in homes consumes 8–15% of the average household electricity budget (or about 6% of its energy use) although the makeup of the installed lighting technologies, lighting design and user behaviour can make a difference.”

You can bring that percentage down if you’re more mindful of how you use your lights. For example, if you are constantly leaving your lights on in rooms with no one inside, you can install motion sensors, which ensure your lights come on only when people are around.

On the other hand, timers ensure that your lights come on and off at specific times of the day. With a timer, you no longer have to worry about forgetting to switch off the porch lights.

• Minimise Your Electricity Consumption

Your efforts to save electricity don’t have to end with your lighting. It pays to be more mindful about how you’re using electricity in your home—you might be surprised just how wasteful your habits are. For starters, you can shut down appliances that aren’t in use. Your WiFi router is a good place to start—be sure to power it down at night.

You should also consider switching to more energy-efficient appliances, whether it’s a new refrigerator, air conditioner, or television with power-saving features.

• Bundle Up Instead of Turning Up the Heat

Your home’s HVAC system accounts for a significant percentage of your home’s electricity usage. As tempting as it is to turn your heat up to a balmy 26°C in the middle of winter, don’t be surprised if you end up paying a small fortune on your utility bill by the end of the month.

The good news is that it’s relatively easy to rein in your heating costs. Instead of turning up the heat, simply put on an extra layer of clothing to keep yourself warm—you’ll be surprised how comfortable adding an extra layer of socks is.

Keep your thermostat to 17°C, which should keep your HVAC from using too much electricity. Once you’re in bed and bundled up underneath a comforter, you can even bring that down to around 13°C.

• Start a Compost Pit

Wondering what to do about all your food waste? You can start your very own home composting bin, where you can throw food scraps like old bread, fruit and vegetable peel and seeds, grains, coffee grounds, stale boxed foods like cereal, egg shells, and corn cobs among many others. Check out this great guide from Home Composting Made Easy to help you get started.

The great thing about living a sustainable lifestyle is that it’s far easier than it looks. Sure, it takes a little discipline to change certain habits like using plastic and saving electricity, but with time, these things will get easier.

Who doesn’t want to travel around the world, meet new people, and be exposed to other cultures? But other than making sure they’re comfortable when travelling, most people often don’t think about their cumulative effect on the places they’re visiting.

Unfortunately, the increase in tourism in many popular travel destinations has also resulted in an increase of pollution, and many of us are not even aware of the impact we leave as tourists. 

When travelling, think of it as being invited into someone else’s home. The last thing you want to do is to mess up their home, right? Likewise, to be a responsible tourist, also need to be conscious about things like waste management, recycling, and anything that has to with being minimising your impact on the environment.

Below are 10 simple tips to help you do just that.

1. Walk or Bike Around

Leave real footprints instead of carbon footprints.

If you can, walk or bike to the tourist attractions you’re looking want to visit. You get to save money, minimise your carbon footprint and get to be up close and personal with the place you are visiting.

If your destination is just a walking distance away, don’t get a cab. If you have to ride, use public transportation instead of getting a private car. Strap on your walking shoes and enjoy the sights.

Also, travel overland if possible. Taking out unnecessary airfare can reduce your carbon footprint dramatically.

• Bring Your Own Water Container

This helps in two ways. Not only do you save money on water (which can become a big expense the longer your travels are), you also won’t be leaving empty plastic water bottles around.

You’re most likely going to end up throwing or leaving a plastic water bottle anyway since you can always just buy another one. If you carry around your own water bottle though, you’re sure to always have water on hand, and you have less waste. You can always fill up on drinking water from the hotel or restaurants you visit.

• Save Water

Speaking of water, try to minimise your water usage. Clean water is still hard to come by in some areas, especially in islands that depend on regular shipments from the mainland.

For starters, you can avoid taking long baths and close the tap when you’re brushing your teeth, for example. Hang and reuse your towels instead of requesting for a new one every day. Most hotels actually remind you to help save on water by leaving reminders in the bathroom, so be conscious about this.

• Minimise Your Power Usage

Help save electricity by turning the lights off when you leave your hotel room. You might think that you’re only one guest and it doesn’t make a difference, but if everyone does their part in saving electricity, we can actually save a lot of power.

Other simple changes you can make include not leaving your key card on the central power slot of your room when you go outside, and switching off appliances like the television and air conditioner when you leave the room.

• Use Reusable Bags or Eco-bags

It can be hard to avoid using plastic bags, especially when you have to make unexpected purchases on your trip. But because plastic bags literally take thousands of years to naturally decompose, a more sustainable approach is necessary.

A reusable bag made from fabrics like jute, cotton, and canvas is not only a more sustainable option, it’s also more durable, carrying heavy loads safely and comfortable. Unlike single-use plastic bags, you don’t have to worry about a reusable bag being thrown in the ocean and choking out marine life.

Reusable shopping bags are just that—reusable. If you take care of your bag, it will last years. Many establishments and cities all over the world even observe a no plastic bag policy, so it’s always good to have one of these reusable bags in handy. If possible, refuse plastic bags when buying from stores or souvenir shops.

• Avoid Products with Non-biodegradable Packaging

Travel size packages of shampoo and soap are indeed handy, but they also mean that you have to generate unnecessary waste.

Instead of buying soap and shampoo outside, use the complementary ones given at the hotel. If you’re only out for a short trip, pack your own bathroom necessities from home in a reusable container. If you’re travelling with a group, buy one big container of shampoo or soap and share instead of buying multiple packets.

• Travel In Small Groups

While it’s true that travelling in a large group can save money on package deals, travelling in smaller groups also reduces your impact on the environment.

Instead, try to travel in groups with fewer than 10 people. Look for a tour operator who’s conscious about environmental friendliness—they will typically ask about how many people you’re going to travel. Other perks of travelling in small groups include ease of getting around and lower likelihood of losing track of one another.

• Stay on Trail When Hiking

While a number of us think that the ideal adventure is trailblazing along unknown paths, trails and walking paths are there for a reason.

First, it ensures you stay safe and prevents you from getting lost. Second, staying on the path also means reducing the likelihood of eroding the entire hiking site and keeps human activity to a single trail. Paths also prevent you from stumbling across flora and fauna in an unsustainable manner.

• Choose a Carbon Offset Adventure

Try to plan your trip with the goal of minimising your carbon emissions.

For example, instead of going to an attraction requiring you to travel several hours away from the airport, why not look for something to do and see close by?

Instead of renting a motorcycle to drive around a small island, rent a bike. Use reusable items rather than disposable ones to cut on waste. The whole point is to be conscious about your carbon footprint and trying t be aware of the emissions created by your accommodations, transport, and activities.

• Buy Local

When travelling, you as a visitor help to put money into the local community and economy.

When purchasing clothing and souvenirs, check the label to make sure it’s local. Eat in local eateries and restaurants that use locally sourced ingredients. This not only helps the local economy, it also minimises the amount of fuel emission and waste from having to ship products and food overseas.

Being eco-friendly shouldn’t end with you leaving your home, it’s a lifestyle that needs to be taken with you no matter where you go. The little things matter, so do your part to help save the environment wherever you go.

Every brand needs to put itself out there. Now, unless you’re a bigtime firm with loads to spend on advertising, a billboard and some TV ads is out of the question. What you need is maximum results for minimum cost.

Customized printed bags, to put it simply, have untapped advertising and branding potential.They can do a lot for your brand, and still benefit your customers and even the environment while you’re at it. The best part? Anyone can design and order printed bags.

There’s really no reason you shouldn’t try custom printed bags, but here are some reasons why you should.

1. Let others do the advertising for you

Why spend countless on advertising agencies when you can get people to advertise for free? Your customers carry the name and icon of your brand whenever they carry your custom bag. Naturally, this is great for letting people know about your brand. These bags could even be what your brand would come to be known for. In the end, custom shopping bags raise an organic awareness for your brand: how to push your brand without being pushy.

2. Save the environment – for a profit

Fabric and calico bags are fantastic substitutes to the classic plastic and paper bags. Reusability here, however, is more than just about being pro-environment, it’s also pro-your brand. Eco bags constantly getting used and reused means that your bags spend more time in someone’s hand and in the sights of potential customers. Additionally, in times where global warming and climate change are at the forefront of everyone’s concerns, being eco is great is a great way for a brand to be remembered by.

3. Every bag is a blank canvas

There are so many ways you could want to present your brand, making adaptability a key factor in any material. Custom printed bags put you in full control of your design. The bag’s the limit when it comes to your creativity and strategy. With so many bag options and details to choose from, every artistic spark is guaranteed a spot on the bag’s surface. No idea you could possibly come up with will be left out. Custom shopping bags ensure that your brand will be known exactly how you want it to be – leaving nothing to imagination but your own.