Sustainable roots(what sustainable really means).

The word sustainable is often associated with a way of living that require a lot of NO.

No to waste…

No to certain products…

No to certain food…

No to certain habits….

This is all very good but it's not necessarily what sustainable mean.

At least not for us.

A different way of thinking about sustainability.

The word Sustainable come from Latin sub "from below" and tenere "to hold", in the sense of support.

During the centuries its meaning has been transformed into different shades of meaning, but all revolving around the idea of "providing the necessities of life", "giving support", "enduring", "holding from falling", "keeping things in a good way", "to nourish".

That's really what sustainable means for us and what we want to advocate.

Sustainability for us means being able to hold and maintain and provide not only for the wellbeing of the planet but also for the wellbeing of ourselves and our community.

The importance of balance and the power of yes.

It is often difficult to find a balance between doing actions that are sustainable for the planet but also sustainable for ourselves, our health, our mental well-being, our money and personal needs.

Embedded in our ethos is a belief in the power of "yes."

We are all about promoting the habit of saying yes to sustainable alternatives doesn't mean renouncing your pleasures, your roots, your traditions, and all of the things that make you feel good, for the sake of the environment.

This extreme approach, aside from not making for a very enjoyable life, is not very sustainable.

Thus, our goal here at Southstainable is to find the balance between what is good for you, and good for the environment.

Reaching this equilibrium is about saying yes to the least impactful actions you can take for the environment.

For example, sometimes instead of committing to being zero-waste, you can take steps towards less waste.

Instead of eliminating use of a product that comes in plastic, which is a restrictive approach, you can opt to use another product that is similar, but with less plastic, or one that can be recycled. 

It all comes down to being at peace with the environment and with ourselves.

Sustainability starts within ourselves.

It is much harder to sustain something big as the planet than it is to sustain ourselves or our community. 

Sustaining ourselves means being able to fulfil our basic physical and emotional needs.

So the first step to sustainability is identifying those individual needs and ensuring we are able to afford to sustain them.

And then to find ways to continue fulfilling needs on a larger aspect, such as with your family, your community, and then the whole planet.

“Think global act local” is a common phrase repeated in the sustainability movement, and what is more local than your own selves? 

Sustainability is for everyone.

Sometimes when we think about sustainability, we think about complicated and overpriced brands or items.

Because of marketing strategies, many have come to associate the words "sustainable living" with wealthy people that are able to afford the organic, expensive vegetables, or overpriced bamboo devices, or working while traveling.

But a sustainable lifestyle doesn't mean that, or at least doesn’t have to!

None of these are things that are necessary for fulfilling those basic individual needs.

A sustainable lifestyle may mean that for some people but everyone's journey should be tailored to themselves, which includes taking into account your own budget and the stage of life that you are in.

We can support something as big as the planet only if we can support ourselves.