10 tips to be more sustainable without leaving home

Small everyday actions can contribute to the restoration of the ecosystem and to making the world a more sustainable space. This is what Marcus Nakagawa , professor of sustainability at ESPM and author of the book "101 Days with More Sustainable Actions to Change" guarantees. o Mundo", winner of the 2019 Jabuti award. According to him, change can start with simple habits, such as not leaving the lights on unnecessarily. "Some ideas for always remembering to turn off the lights may seem silly, but they are very useful, like leaving a message near the light switch. Or always trying to check if the lights are off. In the case of this tip, it's a matter of habit. The more you do it, the more the action will become part of your routine," he explains. To guide these small but significant changes, Marcus listed 10 tips that we can implement in our household routine to help the ecosystem.

1. Reduce your shower time

According to the Akatu Institute , if you shave one minute off your shower time every day, in 10 years you will have saved enough water for a family of four to take their daily shower for six months (21,960 liters)! One minute less In the shower, too, in one month, you save enough to charge your cell phone 750 times in one hour . It's worth adopting the same tip when brushing your teeth and shaving.

2. Prefer to buy products that save energy and have the Procel seal

The Procel Seal aims to guide consumers when making purchases, indicating the products that present the best levels of energy efficiency within each category. It also aims to stimulate the manufacture and sale of more efficient products, contributing to technological development and reducing environmental impacts. As it saves energy, it also reduces the electricity bill.

3. Pee in the shower to save water

Practically all materials can be reused or recovered through recycling and composting. But pay attention to the correct separation: "For example, if we throw food scraps and packaging in the same bin, it will be impossible to recycle this material. Separating the waste between "By separating recyclables and rejects and sending each one to its specific collection point, we reduce the amount sent to landfills, protect the planet and generate income and employment. And if we also separate organic materials for composting, we will further reduce the fraction considered as rejects," explains architect and urban planner Veronica Polzer , who works on the recovery of solid waste generated at CASACOR São Paulo .

5. Make compost with the help of worms

Recommended mainly for confined and compact spaces, the worm composter is small and produces almost no odors. In addition to properly disposing of household kitchen waste, it also produces fertilizer for vegetable gardens and gardens . Learn how to compost at home here .

6. Use reusable bags and eliminate single-use plastic bags

Fabric bags serve a variety of purposes and can be combined with paper bags if necessary when shopping at the supermarket. Whenever possible, opt for products packaged in paper rather than those offered in plastic packaging. Check out other ideas for adopting a lifestyle here plastic free.

7. Research and implement solar energy in your home

Those who invest in solar panels have access to a more rationed supply of energy, which only uses what is necessary and stores the remaining energy so that during periods of inconvenience – such as rainy days or winter – residents are not impacted. Solar energy panels are capable of producing 200 Wp that generate around 800 to 1300 Wh per day (8 hours a day). Find out more here how a solar panel works and how much it costs .

8. Buy products for your home from NGOs and businesses with low socio-environmental impact

A recent launch is Cobogó Mundaú , which was developed by Marcelo Rosenbaum , Rodrigo Ambrósio and the Instituto A Gente Transforma using the sururu shell, a mollusk widely used in the cuisine of the Vergel community in Maceió (AL). The shell of the mollusk was discarded as waste and it was estimated that 200 tons of shells accumulated every month around Lagoa Mundaú, generating an environmental and public health problem for the communities living there. Today, in addition to reusing the shells, the production of coating uses local labor, generating employment and income for local inhabitants.

9. Use the sun's heat to heat your home's water

At Estúdio Elo , a project by Ticiane Lima for Janelas CASACOR São Paulo , the container had a green roof that captured and transformed solar energy through photovoltaic panels. Learn more about the project here .

10. Have a cistern that stores rainwater to water plants and wash the yard

In the Campinarana house, a project designed by Laurent Troost in Manaus (AM), rainwater is collected by gutters on the roof and stored in an underground cistern. If necessary, the liquid can be pumped back to the roof, cooling the material.

About Marcus Nakagawa

Sustainability specialist, Marcus Nakagawa is coordinator of the ESPM Center for Socio-Environmental Development (CEDS), creator of the More Sustainable Days platform and winner of the 2019 Jabuti Award/Creative Economy with the book " 101 Days with More Sustainable Actions to Change the World ".