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Living a Sustainable Life

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If you’ve been hanging out with us for a while, you’ve probably already mastered the art of sustainable fashion and already doing your part to make this world a friendlier place. So what’s next?

Well, you’re already on the right track. Switching to slow fashion and recognizing fast fashion for the evil that it is, is in itself a huge step towards a more sustainable life. We know and you know that it is not an easy switch and just the fact that you’ve made this lifestyle change means that you care deeply about how your actions impact the environment and humanity.

Here are some other aspects in your daily life that you can focus on to contribute to a greener, kinder and more sustainable planet. You’d be surprised how easy some of those changes are!

 

Change starts at Home:

– Save energy: You can make a huge positive impact on the environment just by consuming less energy.   Simple habits such as switching off all lights before leaving your house or better yet, turning off the lights whenever you exit a room are a good place to start. Don’t charge your phone overnight, unplug all appliances that you’re not using and hang your clothes to dry instead of using a drier. Switch to LED lights or CFL bulbs as it has proven to last longer and be more efficient in energy consumption. The environment will send you a Thank You note in the form of a reduced electricity bill!

– Reduce waste: The best way to reduce waste is to consume less! If it can be solved with one paper towel, why use two? If a regular towel can do the job, why use the paper towel in the first place? The second best way to reduce waste is to reuse or upcycle. Those empty jars will definitely be of use later on and that wine bottle will make a lovely vase. If it can’t be used, then the third best way is to recycle. Finally, consider donating or reselling any item that you no longer have use for.

– Save water: The biggest favor you can do to Earth is to save water! Every drop of water counts so keep your showers short, check for water leakage and don’t keep the tap running!

 

Shop Responsibly:

– Plastic Who?: Plastic is probably the number one enemy of the environment and most often than not ends up in the ocean, harming the sea life along the way. When heading to the grocery store, bring your own shopping bag with you to minimize the use of plastic bags. If possible, avoid buying plastic-wrapped products and opt for paper bags instead. Ditch the single-use, disposable products and opt for long-lasting ones instead. Always keep with you a refillable coffee cup for those essential coffee breaks!

– Shop fair trade: It’s sad but a lot of the products that we buy are made using forced or child labor. Check for Fair Trade Certifications, this will guarantee that the product  you are buying was made ethically using fair labor.

– Choose eco-friendly products: Bamboo toothbrushes, organic cotton and biodegradable garbage bags are simple examples.

 

Connect with Nature:

– Transportation: If your feet can take you there, then let your feet take you there! Walking or biking to your destination will let you get a feel of nature, escape the stress of traffic, save up on gas, reduce CO2 emissions, get that much needed exercise and daily dose of vitamin D! It’s a win-win situation if you ask us!

– Disconnect: Every now and then, take a break from technology, get offline and spend some time in nature instead! Outdoor activities such as a walk in the park, a little family picnic, outdoor yoga, a swim in the sea, or a good hike can refresh your soul and make you feel more alive, all the while consuming less energy. Don’t worry, Netflix and your online friends will still be there when you return.

– Plant seeds: Gardening, growing your own food or even planting a tree are great ways to contribute positively to nature!

 

Lifestyle changes:

– Go Paperless: Disconnecting from technology may be important but technology can also have a positive effect on the environment, especially when it comes to paper usage. With emails, calendars, notes, reminders, document sharing, e-tickets and coupons, and infinite other apps at your disposal, you can pretty much do without any paper at all.

– Travel Sustainably: Living sustainably at home is not enough! Take sustainability wherever you go and make sure to make your travels as sustainable as possible!

– Eat Well: Less processed food, less home delivery or takeaway, and more organic food!

 

Human Connections:

– Involve your children: Teach your children early on in their lives the impact that their actions can have on the world. If they start at a young age, chances are they’ll carry their sustainable values with them as they grow up!

– Give Back: Help others, be kind and compassionate, donate, volunteer, support causes and charities, stand up for human rights and equality.

– Raise Awareness: Be an inspiration to the people around you and use your voice and your human connections to inspire others to take actions and follow your sustainable footsteps.

A Day in the Life of a Plastic Bag

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When Katie Perry released her song “Firework” in 2010, she raised an existential question when she asked: “Do you ever feel like a plastic bag?” If you’re one of those people who at some point wondered how does it actually feel to be a plastic bag, read on because today is your lucky day and you’re about to find out. If you’re not one of those people, read on anyway because this stuff is pretty interesting.

Today we’ll take you through the journey of a plastic bag called “Plastia”, your average plastic bag next door, who just like her other fellow plastic bags, is desperately trying to find her way back “home”. At first, Plastia might appear quite harmless and even useful. After all, she’s just trying to help you carry all your groceries back home. But don’t let appearances fool you, she’s not as innocent or well-intentioned as she seems. Just like her 160,000 brothers and sisters who are used globally every second, Plastia has known since day one that she has a bigger purpose in life and that she must find her way to her Promised Kingdom: the deep bottom of the ocean.

When you think of dangerous sea creatures, you probably think of sharks, sea snakes, jellyfishes or crocodiles. Now you can add one more creature to the list: Plastic Bags. Yes, you read that correctly. Plastic Bags are one of the world’s most dangerous “creatures” and they cause the biggest threat to our oceans. And the sad part is that they are everywhere, in every corner, in every home.

But back to Plastia who has just landed in your home. For most of us, our interaction with plastic bags is limited to our trip from the supermarket until we reach home and the bags are emptied. For Plastia though, that’s just a very short span in her long, long life which starts the day she is manufactured from tiny granules that are extracted from oil by the seas (where she will most likely end up back to eventually). After her birth in the factory, she is sold to shops or supermarkets where she waits impatiently for you to get her out of there. Luckily for Plastia, that day has finally come. As you head out of the supermarket, Plastia looks ahead as an empty plastic bag that accidentally made his way out by clinging on to the rest is blown away by the wind. She wonders if their paths will ever cross again someday. She is now transported to her new home, a welcome change from the supermarket, but she knows she won’t last long there as you have no more use for her now that you’ve emptied her. Some of her friends get recycled as garbage bags and Plastia is relieved that she’s been spared from that mission. After being tossed away with the rest of the useless plastic bags, her long awaited journey towards the Promised Kingdom finally begins.

Released into the wilderness, Plastia is now at the mercy of the wind, drifting through and wanting to start again. The wind blows her from one place to another as she enjoys the view and the feeling of freedom. She finds herself at the local park where she spots her old plastic friend from the supermarket. As she runs towards him, her excitement is short-lived when a dog suddenly leaps out of nowhere and attacks her friend. Realizing that the park is not very plastic bag friendly, she starts to make her way out. Unfortunately for Plastia, the local garbage collector spots her before she can run off, picks her up and throws her in the trash.

Plastia now finds herself in a dark, sticky and smelly place without any air to breathe. She can feel that she is being transported somewhere, but the road is much bumpier than the ride from the supermarket. After a few long and dark hours, the smell starts to get stronger and more uncomfortable and Plastia now knows that she is approaching a landfill. Once at the landfill, Plastia is tossed over a huge pile of garbage where she crashes in exhaustion, too weak to resist or try to get away.

For most items that end up in landfills, the story ends here where they live out the rest of their days until they decompose. But Plastia is a strong soul and a survivor. In fact, plastic bags can survive 700 years in landfills before they start degrading, severely harming the environment in the process. But that’s only if Earth is lucky enough to have them stay in the landfill. Most of the time, it gets worse. Being extremely thin and lightweight, it’s only a matter of time until Plastia is transported again by the wind, taken to the sea shores and getting swallowed up by the waves until she finally reaches her Promised Kingdom, the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (a floating landfill of garbage in the Pacific twice the size of Texas, mostly composed of plastic). Once in the ocean, Plastia, the once harmless and useful grocery bag, is now responsible for the death of birds, fishes and sea animals who mistake the plastic for food and consume it. Some animals die, others survive and are captured by humans who get to eat both the fish and the plastic unknowingly at the same time. As mentioned, it takes 700 years for plastic bags to start degrading and up to 1000 years for them to fully degrade. But even their degradation isn’t a relief. Plastic never really degrades naturally, instead it breaks down into the small particles of petroleum it is made of, which again pollute the ocean and end up being eaten by fish.

We can’t know for sure what is Plastia’s faith. Will she stay forever stuck in the landfills? Will she fulfill her destiny and find her way to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch? Or will she get eaten by animals before she can reach there? Whatever happens to her, we know it’s not good news to the environment, to the ocean or to the animals. It is estimated that less than 3% of plastic bags worldwide get recycled. That’s a pretty low percentage if you ask us. Please limit your use of plastic bags and start recycling because the ocean is worth saving.

Luxury meets Sustainability: Top Eco-Hotels Around the World

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At the core of everything that Dulce Salerno stands for is sustainability. We carry this word, or should we say this value, every day with us whether through our eco-fashion choices or daily habits. It’s only natural therefore that it follows us in our travels as well.

There are many ways that you can make your travels as sustainable as possible, and the best place to start is with where you’ll be staying. So as many of you might be planning your next destination now, we thought we’d share with you four hotels and resorts that practice sustainability at its finest. That way, you can wanderlust without any guilt and indulge in luxury without compromising your ethical standards.

Whitepod Eco-Luxury hotel & Alpine Experience:

Located at a drastic 1400m altitude in the beautiful city of Valais in Switzerland, stands one of the most beautiful eco-friendly hotels in the world. Sustainability certainly does not disappoint at the Whitepod Eco-Luxury hotel & Alpine Experience where you can enjoy a unique experience at the heart of the Swiss Alps in one of their eco luxurious PODS. What makes the PODS so eco friendly you ask? Well, all their PODS are equipped with wood-burning stoves and organic luxury beds. But that’s just the PODS doing their eco work, and this Hotel truly proves that hospitality and environmental conservation can co-exist in a positive manner. It does so by following sustainable practices such as controlling water and energy (more on that in a bit), recycling waste, purchasing ALL their ingredients locally and making sure their staff lives close by so automated transport is brought to a minimum. WhitePod provides you with a natural environment and forces you to walk from the reception to the POD, as they are very serious about maintaining their sustainability, just as we are. So how do they control their energy and water consumption? Simple, they use closed fireplaces to slow down wood pellet consumption, they promote the use of class A electrical devices, they’ve installed timers on water boilers and shower heads, and use local spring water from the surrounding forests! It really cannot get more sustainable than this. Oh wait, it does! WhitePod limits night lighting and use 100% biodegradable cleaning products. If only we had more hotels like that!

 Jumeirah Vittaveli:

Located on the Bolifushi Island in the Republic Of Maldives, the Jumeirah Vittaveli resort has been highly recognized as one of the most sustainable and eco friendly places on this planet and has been re-certified by Green Globe. What does it mean to be a Green Globe certified member? The membership is reserved for companies and organizations who are committed to making positive contributions to people and planet. As per the words of Jumeira Resort’s General Manager: “as a globally recognized organization, the Green Globe validates our efforts when it comes to environmental initiatives”. So, what it is that makes Jumeriah Resort worthy of the Green Globe membership? For one, installing water dispensers and distributing free reusable water bottles to colleagues so that the resort can move closer to become a plastic bottle free island in the near future. They’ve got a ‘green team’ that is always brainstorming new ideas for the resort to be as sustainable as possible. To preserve the marine environment and preserve its natural resources, Jumeira’s on site marine biologist, Emily Armstrong-Smith, surveys the local reefs and works on planting coral frames to support natural growth and counter-act the EI Nino effect that usually causes bleaching and coral dieback. Emily also teaches both children and adults about the significance of coral protection and marine habitats.

Spice Island Beach resort:

A resort that also attained the Green Globe certificate and is considered one of the best in the world is the Spice Island Beach resort. Sitting on the world-famous Grande Anse beach of Grenada, this spectacular resort is surrounded with lemon, almond and sea-grape trees. The resort enforces sustainability through several ways: the swimming pools are generated by Salt Chlorine, herb gardens are home-grown, beachfront trees always replanted, and placement of garbage containers are set up along the beach. Internally, they practice energy conservation, reuse of office paper for internal printing, recycling plastic bottles to local medical clinic, paper shredding and composting program. Furthermore, their products are locally produced and are all environmentally friendly. It is very apparent that the resort is attempting to follow an eco-friendly way of life for the environment and its customers.

CAMPI YA KANZI:

Finally, located in the heart of Africa, Kenya, we find the famous Campi Ya Kanzi, a community owned and operated eco-tourism lodge that sets a new standard for the experience of true luxury that is also truly ecologically low-impact. People usually go there to pursue the African Safari of their dreams, since the area is also called “The Green Hills Of Africa”. What makes it so sustainable? The entire camp has been planned and built with the goal of having the lowest impact on the environment. Firstly, they offset all the carbon emissions produced to host its guests and for their safari activities. Carbon credits are purchased from REDD+ Chyulu Carbon Project.  Secondly, local building materials have been used, such as lava rocks and lumber from the environment. Thirdly, hot water is supplied by solar boilers; electricity, by solar systems and the food is prepared with eco-friendly charcoal produced by a UN project. Fourthly, waste is collected and properly recycled. Furthermore, the needs for water are met through rain cropping which entails that the black and grey waters are purified through natural filtration and recycled into a pond for wildfire. It is no surprise that the camp is recognized as one of the most environmentally friendly camps in Africa.

Wouldn’t it be awesome if we had more hotels with the likes of WhitePod, Jumeirah Vittaveli, Spice Island and Campi Ya Kanzi that successfully demonstrate how community, tourism and conservation can go hand in hand for a mutual benefit? Do keep these hotels in mind the next time you’re planning a luxurious yet sustainable getaway and do share with us your favorite eco-hotels as well! Oh, and don’t forget to pack your Dulce fashion essentials for the ultimate sustainable vacation!

 

They Say Travel ‘Light’, We Say Travel ‘Sustainably’

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Every bucket list has one thing in common: traveling. We are by nature wanderers, seekers, discoverers. If we’re not traveling, we’re planning for our next trip, or at least dreaming about it. Traveling opens our minds, eyes and hearts.

Unfortunately, traveling isn’t very sustainable and that is by itself a challenge for us sustainably-oriented peeps who love to travel. In a perfectly sustainable and eco-friendly world, no plane would ever take off. But we all know that is not an option nor a solution. So what can we do to make our travels more sustainable and reduce our carbon footprint?  

It starts with you (everything always does) and with little individual habits that may not seem like much but, collectively, can have a huge impact. Here are some tips from Dulce on how you can enjoy your vacation without compromising your sustainable ethics!

Transportation

  • When available, always book a direct flight instead of one with layover. That will reduce your carbon footprint immensely.
  • The best way to discover a new city is by feet or by riding a bike. If you’re going long distances or weather gets in the way, resort to public transportation or at least a shared cab.

Hotels

  • More and more eco hotels are becoming available worldwide. When planning your trip, try searching for an eco hotel in the area or at least a hotel with sustainable practices.
  • Don’t forget to switch off all lights, turn off the AC and unplug your chargers and electronic devices every time before leaving your room!
  • Avoid giving out your laundry at the hotel. Most hotels wash each room’s laundry separately even if it’s just a few items. That’s a whole lot of laundry loads. Very, very bad.
  • In some countries, water is a scarce resource. Keep your showers short and try not to consume a lot of water.

Shopping

  • Shop at local shops and dine at local restaurants instead of big chains. It’ll boost the local economy you are visiting and will also give you a richer experience of the country’s culture.
  • Bring your own shopping bag with you to reduce the use of plastic bags.

Behavior

  • Respect cultures, norms and rules, and try not to offend locals.
  • It goes without saying, but don’t litter! Keep the country you’re visiting clean (or at least don’t participate in making it even more polluted).

Animals

  • Don’t disrupt the wildlife by feeding them or getting too close to them!
  • Avoid tourist activities that encourage animal slavery such as elephant riding or tiger walking.

Give Back

  • Finally, give back by donating to a local charity before heading back home!

Posted by Dulce Salerno