Environmental sustainability has been a major buzz concept for the last few years and with good reason. If we don't start making small adjustments to our daily habits, it will be at the expense of the most important asset of all- our earth. We need to view our world in the same way we do our bodies. We respect and invest loads of our time, energy and money into our own well being and aesthetic and we need to be doing the same for our earth because it's the only one we've got!

Just about everything we do each day impacts on our environment and unfortunately, it is not often in a positive way. From what we do with empty coke cans or cereal boxes, how long we spend in the shower each morning right through to our choice to leave electrical products on standby and of course the way we get to and from the office everyday - all of these things contribute to the ecological footprint we leave behind.

The most important step towards adopting a clean & green lifestyle is to realise that it's not about making huge changes. Equally as important is realising that sustainability can only be achieved if we all do our part. Even the smallest changes, when combined with the efforts of others, become great results in the bigger picture.

So how do we start living with a great environmental consciousness? It's about breaking it down to a whole bunch of super simple little ideas. Start off with a few things and once they become habit, introduce a few more smart lifestyle choices and before you know it you'll be a living happy, healthy & green without even thinking about it!

Keeping in mind that there are tons of aspects to environmental sustainability such as transport, utilisation of renewable resources, water use, power consumption and so on, probably the simplest place to start is with recycling. It's something we can all do every single day, so lets get started:

Local Government Initiatives. Many local governments are focusing their efforts on putting into place initiatives and strategies for their town to tackle sustainability. From recyclable rubbish collection services to planting more tree's and creating cycle lanes on our roads. Be aware of what you're local government is doing for your area and take part where you can- your local government website is a great place to start.

When doing groceries try to buy fresh food with minimal packaging: eg. meat from the butcher tends to have less plastic packaging than that which you find in the supermarket, fruit from the fresh produce department or fruit store has little to no packaging. The other great thing about food with less packaging is that it tends to be healthier than the rest. With the products you do buy that have packaging, ensure you have a system in place in your home to recycle all your cardboard's, glass bottles, cans and plastics.

Composting food scraps is a great option is you have a yard, not so simple if you're an apartment dweller, though. A tip to note is that decomposing food tends to have a bit of an odour, so if you are composting, try the far corner of your yard!

Don't throw out old magazines. Call around local doctors surgeries, beauty salons or women's shelters. You will no doubt find someone more than happy to take them off your hands & with a smile and a thank you!

Recycle your plastics properly. Sometimes not all plastics can be recycled, for instance, some areas will take empty milk cartons but not the lid. Check with your local council (or the body that is responsible for recycle collection in your area) for specific guidelines. You don't want your effort going to waste, literally!

If like a lot of city dweller you're hooked on your daily caffeine habit, invest in a coffee flask. Most chain coffee shops like Starbucks or Gloria Jeans stock them in a whole range of colours, sizes and shapes to suit your lifestyle. Some places even offer a discount off the regular price of their coffee when you buy a coffee & have it in one of their branded flasks. Saving money & the environment: what's not to love?

Most offices use a ton of paper. See what is being done about recycling in your workplace. Do you have tubs for recycling in your lunch room? What about papers bins around photocopiers? Provision of shredders, labelled bins, photocopiers with ability to print double sided and a bit of positive encouragement from management can go a long way in preventing massive waste at work.

Give your old clothes a second lease of life. There is so much you can do with your old clothes that it's a sin to throw them out with general rubbish. You can pop them up on Ebay and make some coin or donate them to a local thrift store; hand them down to a younger sibling or get creative, cut them up & modify.

Remember that there is no time like the present to get started! Be sure to check back for more ideas on other means of contributing daily to environmental sustainability, coming soon to Tres Lola.