Earth Day: Goths Can Go Green Too!

Earth Day is the time when you ever thought it's a bullshit, you realized (after so many busy things) that you have lived in a dying planet. Yeah, WE make it dying. Some of us have decided to make a change. Come on! Don't let those hippies alone. Let's save the world together, and here's what I can do regularly as a Goth:

1. Thrifting

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I put it on number one because it is multi eco-friendly. By doing this, you have reused everything from garments to furnitures, recycled the materials, and you've got some money saved. Besides, you'll also find many great things that never come from modern stores nowadays.

2. DIY and Sewing

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DIY-ing and sewing are the alternatives of thrifting or the opposite. You may have reduced the consumption of materials, and it increases your creativity. Honestly i can't really do a good sew - still trying.

3. Conserve The Energy

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It doesn't mean that Goths LOVE darkness xD You don't have to change all bulbs with candles (the risk of fire is bigger eh?). What you need to do is use your window space (between the curtain) where the sunlight comes at the day. Turn the lamp off when you go out, when you don't need it and when you're about to bed. The same thing is also applied to another electrical appliances you often use like TV, radio, DVD, charger, computer, etc.

4. Save Water

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It doesn't absolutely include to limit your drink! Well, I can't save much water in bathing because I need about 20-30 minutes to clean up (I just need more "privacy"). However, what I am able to do is wash clothes manually with cold water. I can't tell how many clothes I always wash but usually it needs 3 medium pails of water. I have to do this since i'm not allowed to own any kind of washing machine. However, if you have the machine, just remember to use it efficiently. The positive things I got are reduce the electricity usage, paid bills seemed fine, and it is good for exercise. Go muscle!
If you are not used to wash clothes manually, I suggest you to wash the dishes. Wet all the dirty dishes, turn off the faucet. Turn it on again when you want to clean them. It's more effective than you wash them one by one and let the water keeps flowing unused. Don't worry about the black nails, they stay cool still.

5. Support Dermatologically-Tested, No Animal Testing, and Organic Ingredients Cosmetics

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I know that there are still many brands which do test on animal, but it is a good start to avoid them, or at least reduce the usage of those products. By doing this, you have saved the other living creatures from violation. The example is Oriflame which has launched EcoBeauty collection. I have used one of the products and wrote the review here, and you may check the website.

Furthermore, I don't mean to guarantee if a product is truly claimed to be eco-friendly. It can be just a marketing label. Just be aware and love your own skin more.

6. Donation or Garage Sale

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Spare your time to collect all of old stuff you don't want to use anymore. Then, sort all of them by type whether you want to donate or make it on sale. You don't only take care of the environment, but you also help people around you.

7. Reuse Plastic Bag

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Plastic is a material which can't be decomposed naturally. I think it's better to use it again when you have something to bring, especially if it's wet and you don't want it inside your bag. If i'm out of plastic, i'll use fabric bag. I have plenty!

8. Dispose Garbage in Its Place

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No need to say more about this. If there's no trash can around me, i usually keep it inside my pocket until i find a place to throw.

9. Public Transportation

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Well, I do not own any car or motorcycle yet, so I go to work and college with a shared-ride vehicle. In my living place, I often use what are called Transjakarta, Mikrolet and Ojek. I make myself go by feet if my destination isn't too far.

10. Recycle, Reuse, Reduce, Revamp! Plus Lifehack-ing

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Hell yeah, revamping is such a fun activity. What you need is some stuff from the craft or material store, combined with sense of creativeness like DIY. Guess what? You'll see like you have a new item no one can find anywhere!

I may not have any tips to make a compost, or even to eat less meat. But you see what i've been doing this far. Of course, it depends on your living area. As for me, I live in the capital of tropical country, in a boarding house with my family.

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How about you? What do you do to save our lifestyle without making it unspooky?
Don't forget to see this post by lovely Mary Rose about the Earth Day, Green is New Black