What does sustainable mean?

A while ago, someone asked me what sustainability means to me. They pointed out that it didn't come across very clearly on my website, even though I use the word sustainable. I actually thought that was a good point! At the moment, I am really focused on this and it’s not just a 'buzzword' I want to use. That's why I'm writing a blog post about my journey toward a more sustainable life.

When is something sustainable?

But what does sustainable actually mean? Everyone might have a different idea about sustainability. Because let's face it, it's quite a broad concept. According to the dictionary, 'sustainable' means something that lasts a long time and has little impact on the environment. That is basically indisputable. Yet there is always a lot of debate about the word 'sustainable,' because when is something truly sustainable? A few concrete examples:

• separating waste
• installing solar panels
• taking the bike more often
• eating vegetarian more often

That sounds simple, but it isn't always that simple in practice. And we undoubtedly all think to ourselves sometimes: does my contribution even matter? Because it goes so much further than our own reach. Still, we wouldn't get anywhere if we all thought that way, so every little bit helps.

Personally, I take my bike or use public transport as often as possible. In addition, I try to eat less dairy and buy oat milk instead. Our home is furnished as sustainably as possible and my husband and I separate our waste. The latter is also because this is encouraged by the municipality through special bins. After all, we live in sustainable Haarlem!

What does sustainable business mean?

Fortunately, larger companies are also becoming increasingly responsible about their role in society. But there is still a long way to go when it comes to building a sustainable society. Sustainable business practices therefore play a very important role in that!

This also applies to small business owners, like me; what can I do from my company to be as environmentally conscious as possible? I thought about this a lot when starting up. This translates mainly into the materials I work with and the items I sell. For instance, the packaging is fully recyclable and many of the products I sell come from the Netherlands. Many of these Dutch products are handmade and consist only of natural ingredients. That way, you have a sustainable gift in your hands in no time. And if you live in Haarlem or the surrounding area, I deliver it myself by bike!

There are more and more sustainable gift sets, but still not nearly enough. Partly for this reason, I started Bloom Mondays. Whether it's a sustainable maternity gift or a sustainable gift for a colleague, you can find it all with us. In addition, many of our care products are even vegan! After all, more and more people value that.

Not buying clothes for a year

Finally, my personal mission on the road to a more sustainable life, because that is what it is all about for me! To me, sustainable means consuming less, because I used to buy a lot of clothes. I wasn't really into fast fashion anyway and mostly bought sustainable clothing, but it is always even more sustainable to buy no clothing at all. So my resolution is to not do this for a whole year. I am now more than three months in and I have to say that it has been quite manageable so far. The realization that you don't actually need it all. And what a peace of mind it gives! No more scrolling through those apps for hours to see if there is something nice to buy. Pretty bad, right?!

Sustainable living tips

There is always someone better at it, but it feels good to be able to make my contribution and thus realize a more sustainable life step by step.

Do you have any tips for a more sustainable life, or would you like to share what your sustainable routine looks like? Let me know in the comments!