Mélange Sustainable Travel + Lifestyle Winter 2022 | Page 61

SUSTAINABLE LIVING loofah made from organic and recyclable material . Or the shampoo in your bathroom can be replaced with zero waste shampoo bars .
3 . Is there a sustainable or zero waste store in your area ? Perhaps there is someone that makes sustainable products from whom you can easily purchase . And if not , can you make some of these products yourself ?
But above all else , the best way to make this change is to stick to the plan . Before you know it , the transition from regular to ecological living has become a habit and your household is mostly sustainable .
Workshops and tours
But Emilia did not stop at just her household . Once she flipped the switch she was determined to share the knowledge she acquired with others . Through Mixua she started offering workshops like the popular DIY workshops to learn how to make your own eco-friendly and zero waste products as well as eco tours in her hometown of Ghent . Soon she went from giving tours in her own city to doing them in Brussels , Antwerp and Bruges . with the help of volunteers who are as passionate about sustainability as herself .
The tours focus on four topics of eco-conscious living : sustainable food , sustainable clothing and eco fashion , eco-friendly beauty products and lastly innovation . The last part of the tour stops at a business that produces sustainable , environmentally friendly or reusable products or a combination of all three . It can be a shoe store that makes shoes from apple leather for example . In between visits at different local shops , the tour guide delves deeper into each topic and explains what all to look out for , like the ever present act of greenwashing , which is when a company claims that their products are ecological , vegan or sustainable when in fact they are not .
comprehensive guide of sustainable stores , shops and businesses all through Belgium .
As a business owner , eco warrior and a new mom , Emilia continues to find ways to teach about the benefits of a zero waste and sustainable lifestyle as well as the importance of using ecological products . Sustainable living can be less expensive and is definitely much better for your health in general , she says .
As a last piece of advice , Emilia says that while you cannot force anyone to commit to the change in lifestyle , you will be introducing the idea to those near you and even unknowingly influence them to do the same just by making the change yourself and by being passionate about sustainability .
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