It has been over a decade since, though the exact year remains foggy, I still remember running around the halls and staircases of the neatly decorated model homes my family and I toured. My siblings and I ran around claiming which bedrooms would be ours, discussing how we would decorate them. We never had our own rooms. At the end of the day, we were only dreaming. The houses were way out of our budget.
I remember hearing the realtor talking about the fancy, environmentally friendly and sustainable gadgets that were installed all throughout the house. It was fascinating to hear how each product contributed to helping the environment. I thought to myself, I want that for my future home, I want to help the planet however I can in my daily life. But for now, we settled on a house within our budget.
Fast forward a couple years, I realize how costly some of these products were. It appears as if switching to sustainable practices is expensive and unattainable. For example, installation costs of solar panels averages between $11,000 - $14,700 in the United States. While solar panels are investments, they take years to pay off, averaging between 5 to 15 years to pay back in the U.S. This isn’t feasible for families or individuals who do not possess or generate enough disposable income. Families such as mine.
I got to thinking again, I am a broke college student from an immigrant lower-middle income family. What if I start small? I can’t invest in solar panels but perhaps I can invest in ethically sourced and manufactured clothing. After all, I love fashion but hate the harmful effects Fast Fashion brands such as Shein has on the environment.
A little online research and window shopping until I'm smacked in the face with a hefty price tag. Yet again, I have come to learn how expensive Slow Fashion brands are. I understand why the price tags are high, the brands after all are actually paying their employees livable wages, but I can’t afford to spend $50 on a plain white t-shirt.
I began to feel helpless, there had to be ways I could contribute. I understand that when you feel limited, it can lead to inaction. I was the same way, until I took a look around my home and began to recognize all the little ways my family and I have already been doing to live sustainably. While many others and I make the hasty generalization that sustainable living is too expensive and therefore unattainable, it is not accurate to suggest that those with limited disposable income are not capable of attaining and maintaining a sustainable lifestyle.
My own family and community proved me wrong. There are a multitude of ways we could live sustainably on a budget. Those who believe the myth that sustainable living is expensive fail to acknowledge the affordable alternatives readily available. Furthermore, they fail to acknowledge cultures and communities from lower income areas that have practiced sustainability for years. The following paragraphs reveal how lower income families and individuals can switch to sustainable practices through a variety of free or affordable alternatives ranging from repurposing owned items to taking inspiration from other cultures.
What you need is closer than it appears. I open my fridge door and I am welcomed by old tubs of butter and glass jars that have been repurposed into Tupperware. On the shelf below I find egg shells my mom intends to use as fertilizer for her garden where we grow vegetables. Sitting on the desk in my living room is a metal tin can for Danish butter cookies, only inside I find a sewing kit we use to tailor or mend torn clothing. Inside my purse is a folded tote bag to use for my next grocery trip. We don’t need to purchase brand new reusable containers, fertilizer, or new items when things break; we can repurpose the items already in our possession. Doing so keeps items out of the landfill while giving them a new purpose.
Cheaper alternatives are available. Slow Fashion brands may be out of our budget, but thrift stores and second-hand shops aren't. Often the material of the clothing or furniture found in thrift or consignment stores are sturdier and higher quality than those cheaply mass-produced products. For example genuine leather jackets or solid wood dressers. Some of my favorite quality pieces I own were purchased from thrift stores for under $10.00.
In case items are damaged, consider repairing, repurposing, or regifting them to those who will give it a second life before tossing it out. Sometimes fixing things you already own is cheaper than buying new ones. Repairing and repurposing also gives you the chance to customize your pieces to your own style.
If second-hand stores are not readily available in your community or don’t carry your sizes, there are online consignment shops such as Poshmark, Facebook marketplace, and OfferUp. Trading with friends and family is another fun frugal option. My family often sends distant family members in the Philippines hand-me-downs and my friends and I go through clothing we no longer want and trade items we like with one another
Other affordable alternatives for a sustainable lifestyle include creating your own garden or participating in a community garden. Rather than constantly purchasing seeds, plants, or fertilizer you can germinate, propagate, or compost your own. My mom does it all in our small patches of dirt in our backyard. Access to healthy affordable food is possible. If you live in a small studio apartment or have limited space, you can DIY a vertical garden.
Smaller investments add up. Some items around the house just can’t be reused or can only be reused so much until it becomes trash. Items commonly found in your kitchen or bathroom such as paper towels, Ziploc bags, dryer sheets, cotton rounds, and feminine products are single use products that need to be repurchased. These repurchases add up overtime.
Let's do the math. The average spent on paper towel products in a year in 2020 is $123.10 US per consumer. Costco’s 12 pack of paper towels retails for $21.99. That means you can purchase about 5 packs, for a total of 60 rolls. Or you could invest in a Reusable Swedish Dishcloth at $7 a piece, that is equivalent to 17 rolls. With 4 pieces for around $28 you’ll have 68 rolls for nearly 1/5th of the annual average spent. That’s about $95 in savings all before taxes.
Therefore, it is financially wise to make investments in products that replace single use items. Not only will it keep your money in your bank account, it will keep those single use paper and plastic out of landfills. According to this article, “Landfills are a top source of methane” and “ Methane is 72 times more potent than CO2 over a 20-year period.” By switching to zero-waste and composting organic material, not only do we save money but reduce methane emissions.
Sustainability in different cultures. Multiple cultures have practiced sustainability in their own unique ways. Developing countries are often the most vulnerable to climate change and are more reliant on their natural resources compared to developed countries. The culture in which I am most familiar is my Filipino culture. Marketplaces in the Philippines and other Southeast Asian countries are beginning to ditch single-use paper and plastic products for banana leaves. While this may be new, Filipinos have a tradition called ‘Kamayan’ (Tagalog word for “by hand”) using banana leaves as plates and hands as utensils that dates back to pre-colonial times. If citizens of third world countries like the Philippines can partake in sustainable practices, surely citizens from a first world country like the United States can afford to. Inspiration can be drawn from cultures all over the world and incorporated into our lives in America.
The myth that it is expensive to live sustainably is just that, a myth. A number of cultures and communities coming from lower incomes have practiced free and affordable methods of sustainable living for years. It’s a matter of researching what best fits the needs of yourself or your family. Smaller investments in zero waste products and taking advantage of affordable or free options not only helps those with limited disposable income save money in the long run, it simultaneously helps our planet.
While my family and I are still in no position to make larger investments to sustainable living, we are in a position to make sustainable choices and smaller investments. We by no means live 100% sustainably, but we make a conscious effort with what we have. As we continue to make sustainable changes, I encourage you to do the same.
Changes don’t have to happen overnight. Use up the products you currently have before slowly transitioning to zero-waste products, start with one DIY project at a time, make small sustainable changes. It’s more attainable and beneficial than you realize.
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