Can a minimalist mindset help save the planet?

We see a growing movement of the minimalists around the globe; they say less is more and it helps clear the head. But did you know that it also draws a link between personal and planetary well-being?

What if everyone chose a different lifestyle- filled with less stuff and consumerism? Before we get into the details of how this choice of life can help the environment, you must understand what it’s all about. Minimalism is a lifestyle that demands you to question what things add value to your life. When you clear the clutter from life’s path and make room for the most important aspects like health, relationships, passion, growth, and contribution. Everyone embraces minimalism differently; for example, 20-year-old single man’s minimalist life choices would look different from a 50-year-old mother. What remains constant is that it leads to the same place: a life with more time, more money, and freedom to live a life more worthwhile.

The quintessence of sustainability is focused on meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. So how do the two mesh?
Sustainability and minimalism mesh for several reasons- for one they share common resolutions to different problems. In a way that minimalism seeks to reduce clutter in one’s life and in doing so reduce the number of goods consumed all together. One of the ecological pillars of sustainability states that everyone should reduce the number of consumed goods in order to reduce the consumption of natural resources as a whole. Sustainability allows everyone on earth to ideally have enough money to comfortably support and protect ourselves, whereas minimalist lifestyle focuses on the important things (like family, goals, and personal achievements) in life instead of materialism. It can be concluded that both, sustainability and minimalism, result in reduced consumption of goods for different reasons.

Here are some of the same goals that both accomplish:

1. Using less resources: This is one of the most obvious goals that the two lifestyles help you accomplish, they both urge you to only use things that you need. In doing so, you save the resources for future generations and reduce the stress on your pockets plus the environment, presently.
2. Reducing the use of electronics: Minimalism teaches people to enjoy experiences over things, particularly with digital minimalism they encourage to be more purposeful with technology. Overuse of electronics causes emission of Co2 in the atmosphere, causing global warming. If you start being intentional with your technology use, you’re living sustainably by using less energy and reducing the release of greenhouse gases.
3. Becoming more active: The main goal of leading a minimalist lifestyle is to add things in life that make you feel good physically and mentally. This results in adding exercise to the routine, choosing to walk or ride bikes instead of driving cars. In case of sustainability, people tend to be more active to reduce Co2 emissions and help the planet function better.
4. Tiny ecological footprint: Another way people practice minimalism, is through the tiny house movement. Where people believe that smaller spaces keep you happy, the main reason is that it encourages people not to buy as much because they don’t have space to store it. Smaller spaces use less energy and less resources, which in turn leaves a tinier ecological footprint when compared to bigger spaces. Something sustainability strives to achieve as well.
5. Recycling: Minimalist also believe in recycling old clothes and other items. Sustainability encourages people to recycle, so earth’s current resources are not stressed to make new items.

Minimalism can be a solution to a sustainable future in numerous ways. Having said that, it won’t be enough of solution because in the end it is more about people focusing on having personal happiness. As humankind moves forward, it is our duty to find the right path that will help us maintain integrity of our planet for us and future generations. Embracing a lifestyle like minimalism along with sustainability is a path that will lead us in the direction of positive change. The two combined, the efficiency of minimalism and consciousness of sustainability, is a power that will instil great changes in society. After all, the more individuals who contribute to the growth of our planet as a whole, the more we can share this beautiful world with one another. It is up to us to keep moving in the correct direction and remember what is important to us;
Our world, our community, and our family.