April 19, 2021
6 tips for more sustainability - for eco-advanced users
by Lena Severin
Sustainability has long 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, unpackaged 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 there are now also more and more ways to afford a little (or a lot) of green luxury outside of everyday life.
Anyone who already knows JUNGLÜCK knows that we LOVE sustainability. We are an environmentally conscious company that has designed its supply chain and business activities 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 aim is always to keep our impact on the 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 would now like to share with you 6 slightly more unusual favorite 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 may find some initial inspiration for a greener life here.
- Minimalism is "in"
- Is this art or can it go away?
- Vintage wall art with a difference
- Urban jungle - good for the environment and your wallet
- Indoor climate: Vacation in the home
- Clean hard disk, 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 "dream prince baking tin" again, which I got back then as a not-so-funny gag? Probably not. And if you're thinking to yourself now: "Prince Charming baking tin"? That's right! And I'm pretty sure that you and everyone else has a dust catcher like this lying around somewhere, hidden and forgotten. So put the Prince Charming in an old cardboard box and start clearing out! Take a rainy day, put on some music and go through your room. And yes, your closet too. I personally love the scene from the first Sex and the City movie where the four ladies clean 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! Well, four people are rather difficult to get into a room in a corona-compliant way at the moment, but maybe a good friend will do. 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 clutter that could find a new home with you and vice versa? But if you can't find a grateful recipient: Local second-hand stores, social welfare organizations, eBay and vinted (formerly Kleiderkreisel) can help you get rid of a lot of things. There are even recycling programs for broken clothing, fabric remnants, old cleaning rags and so on. Find out about them in your city and create a little space in your home.
2 Is this art or can it go? Creative upcycling!
I find nothing worse than wanting to let off steam creatively and then having square meters of homemade artwork, half of which I can only fit in my room, but only one of which I really need. If, like me, you like to create things and let off steam artistically, you will probably be familiar with the problem. We have shelves full of handmade clay vases, bowls, candles and candlesticks, pictures and paintings fill our walls, macramé and maybe even a hand-knotted tapestry lie sadly in a corner for lack of space. The room is bursting at the seams and we are on the verge of 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 this later). So what to do with all the creative works? First idea: give them away. Who would you like to make happy? Who has a birthday coming up? Are there other festivities coming up? And more importantly, will the person be happy? Yes? Great! No? Let's move on... It's really amazing what you can get rid of on ebay. Take a few high-quality pictures in front of a neutral background, preferably well-lit and with details so that it's easy to see. 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 idea of giving away for city dwellers: Here in Munich you often see boxes with all sorts of stuff on the doorstep when you're out walking (lockdown activity #1): To give away. You wouldn't believe what I've gotten rid of. From leftover Ikea items, worn-out shoes and broken cups to an old shower curtain. Everything. Gone. Gone.
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 get rid of them again, I've switched to painting my basic T-shirts with textile paint. This kills three birds with one stone: I'm happily occupied, create something new to save space and end up with a pretty nifty one-off. Ergo: the bed linen will now be embellished!
3. vintage wall art with a difference
If you're into vintage, my next tip could be just the thing for you. You can usually find lots of old photos, even entire albums and advertising posters at flea markets, in second-hand stores or on eBay. Maybe you'll find something in your grandparents' or older family friends' photo collection. Old black and white, sepia or faded color photographs make a wonderful wall collage on their own without frames or other distractions. And it's great fun to select, arrange and hang the pieces. I have lots of smaller pictures scattered around my home, so there's something to discover in every room.4. urban indoor jungle - good for the environment and your wallet
What you can do with clothes and things that have been cleared out, you can also do with plants and their cuttings: A swap shop! The perfect solution for all green fingers out there, because it's much cheaper (i.e. free) than buying new plants and makes the indoor gardener's heart beat faster when you can watch them grow.Your friends aren't that into home greenery? Ebay can help! Yes, plant fans can also offer cuttings here, not necessarily for free, but (usually) for little money.
Haven't discovered your green thumb yet? Then friends and eBay are a wonderful and inexpensive start! If something goes wrong and your little protégé doesn't survive, it's at least a small consolation that you haven't invested huge sums of money. But please seek expert advice beforehand on which plant is suitable for your home and how it should be cared for to give your green thumb a chance!
5. indoor climate - relaxation in the home
From plants, which already significantly improve the indoor climate and somehow bring more life into the room, we now move on to humidity. Especially in winter and during the transitional period, the air we breathe indoors for most of the day is very dry due to the heating. As a result, our mucous membranes also become drier and irritated, and germs, viruses and bacteria have an easier time of it. Of course, there are wonderful devices that optimally control the indoor climate, filter the air and are definitely recommended. However, the reality is that we often don't have the money for such things. I have therefore started to always put 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 a few weeks now, however, I've been itching to get out and about and travel again. Of course, that's not possible at the moment. To counteract the frustration here a little Treat, I've stocked up on various essential oils at my local health food store, which I add to the water depending on my mood. Frankincense, lavender and sandalwood remind me of different countries I have traveled to. So at least my sense of smell can cross borders.
6. clean hard disk, sustainable data
Sustainable database? Oh yes! Sustainability is also an inner attitude and can also 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 we collect. So, the hard disk is also happy about a spring clean! 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 slideshows? If you've made videos, you can cut together little movies. From vacations, trips or even a whole year... It's much more fun to look back at such data instead of aimlessly scrolling through 874 unsorted pictures from your last vacation.
Sustainability is a question of attitude. We are happy about every head that we can inspire to rethink and about every exchange that arises on the topics that concern us every day: Sustainability, skincare and a holistic lifestyle. With this in mind: have a green day!
My personal tip for anyone 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:
