Some practices which help us live more sustainable, eco-friendly lifestyles are admittedly, not easy to carry out in countries where the main infrastructure and mechanisms are not suited to include recycling or waste free grocery shopping, where less packaging is involved -- nonetheless, you are still able to work around these by coming away from the system and working from outside of it.
Pakistan ranked as the second-most polluted country in the world according to this year's IQ Global Air Quality report. Roughly 20 million tons of solid waste is generated annually, with a yearly growth rate of almost 2.4 percent with Karachi, the largest urban center, generating more than 9,000 tons of waste on a daily basis. It comes as no shock of course, with almost every street in the port city being littered up and down and the main Seaview Beach coastline covered in heaps of rubbish as far as the eyes can see.
Chances are, a small group of people -- especially those suffering from mild to severe climate change anxiety -- are feeling deeply saddened and affected by this phenomenon. While it is definitely a valid point of disconent, channeling that energy into a more positive direction allows you to make changes on an individual level. People often confuse collective doom for personal doom, by misunderstanding the outcome of their miniscule efforts but the truth of the matter is, that your choice to act differently does in fact make a rippling difference in the grand scheme of things. Our planet’s ecosystem is deeply disturbed by our overpopulated, human actions which most people are more than content to continue with, that should however, never misguide you from making the appropriate changes in your lifestyle to better honour and protect the beautiful world we live in.
By buying from local fresh food markets and farmers markets in general, you are able to decrease the waste of plastic packaging that is commonly found in modern supermarkets. To eliminate plastic waste even further from this interaction, you can carry your own reusable cloth bags to carry your chosen items. These bags can be perfectly paired with an outfit you’ve put together by thrifting all those nifty pieces at Gulf near Teen Talwar, which are available at such reasonable prices! The second hand clothes market has boomed not only in Pakistan, but internationally as people have begun to accept the unethical and unsustainable processes by which fashion houses produce their clothing. Once you’re at home, full and satisfied, the waste scraps from the meal you have prepared can easily be turned into composting material following any of the guides available online and on YouTube. This compost in turn nourishes the earth in your garden and can be used to grow a healthy variety of herbs and vegetables for your personal selection!
All of the above mentioned steps are fairly easy, doable, and work with what is available in our specific region -- introducing them into your routines is not only sustainable to the environment but also to you! You yourself are part of this earth and have too suffered the outcomes of bad eco practices. Think about the food that is consumed on commercial scales, packed with GMO and more, versus natural produce available at your local farmers market. You are doing yourself a favour, every time you do a favour for this magnificent planet.
Start your sustainability journey today with small steps to heal the earth and yourself and check out @cleangreenmusicmachine on Instagram for more amazing pointers and tips!
