Meeting with a fellow human
It is always so inspiring and humbling to talk with businesspersons about sustainability and their journeys. This morning, I met with the founder of a small Danish business that makes only three products from only three ingredients (olive oil, shea butter, beeswax). It's an incredibly interesting business, and I will include the story of this business in my forthcoming book.
I learned about this business a while ago, when I moved to Denmark. I don't live with many objects, but the ones I invite into my life I try to buy from small, local, independent businesses. I live with an autoimmune skin condition, and many products and ingredients cause severe irritation and inflammation in my skin.
As I will write about this business in my book, here I only want to note one aspect of our discussion, the question that I contemplate often myself, as both a consumer and sustainability researcher. It's the question of ecological, locally made products often being more expensive than more conventional options. When I talk about both simple living and sustainable business, my fellow humans often raise the issue of affordability. It is a very important discussion to have. As a consumer, I notice that more sustainable options are often more expensive. As a practitioner, I approach this question this way:
I practise minimalism, so I invite very few objects into my life. I exclude many categories of products (jewellery, makeup, occasion and smart clothing, cars, flights and so on). This allows me to spend a bit more on the products in the categories that I consume.
Whenever possible, I live with objects that have multiple uses. For example, I use a balm as a lip balm, face cream, body cream. I use bar soap to wash my body, hands, to clean the sink and at times even to wash my clothes.
In terms of skin and body care, whenever possible I make things myself or use concentrated products (without added water). For this reason, I use solid shampoo, bar soap, balms instead of creams.
Whenever it is possible to avoid buying, I choose this option. For example, I always borrow kitchen items. They rarely match, but it is ok and even beautiful.
I avoid wasting money, e.g., by wasting food.
Usually I say no to gifts from fellow humans, as I have everything I need, and what I need is very little. But whenever there is something that I genuinely need and, e.g., my loved ones hope that I help them identify something, I say explicitly what I need. Usually it is either food or something that I always use.