Sustainable Consumption

Living lightly through changes in behaviour – Kiran Dhanapala

Interest in sustainable lifestyle practices is growing exponentially worldwide including here in Sri Lanka. The ‘new normal’ that everyone refers to in our COVID-19 ridden world is actually behavioural change. This is part of the positive thinking needed for the dire situation the world faces.

More conscious consumption and innovation will be required to meet our needs. There is a gap between aspirations and behaviour. Affordability, convenience and ease of switching to a more sustainable lifestyle are important factors in filling this gap.

A global survey on sustainable consumption cited three issues among the leading “very serious” global problems: COVID-19 (68%), the spread of human diseases (62%) and natural resource depletion (60%).

Respondents also stated they were more likely to change their lives if it was easy and affordable. And younger respondents were more likely to make significant positive efforts that were healthier, more environmentally-friendly and helpful to others.

Given the global economic situation, priorities for 2021 include protecting financial health and wellbeing (80%), saving energy at home (80%), reducing food waste (78%), caring for mental health (78%), spending time with family and friends (78%), and eating healthy and nutritious food (78%).

This has implications for purchasing that is ethical and meets environmental specifications such as with less packaging.

Sri Lanka has advantages in supporting a transition to living lightly. We have a tradition of reusing and recycling in our communities that must be strengthened further. Our social and extended family networks can lend themselves to knowledge sharing, enabling people to better swap, borrow and reuse things.

We also have many innovative local entrepreneurs offering sustainable services and products who are active on social media – especially on Instagram.

These social entrepreneurs – who address social and environmental issues as part of their profit making businesses – offer a range of innovative and interesting goods and services that are worth exploring.

Living lightly at work and home means a cultural shift and changes in behaviour. Becoming more agile and flexible is aided by living lightly in times of uncertainty. Begin conversations on sustainability related issues, share tips, influence others, and engage with a variety of people and perspectives.

Diversity presents insights – start small and build on existing initiatives that involve others. Focus on learning as you go to live and work better.

The following are 10 tips to live lightly at work and home, each of which can be approached as a weekly challenge!

First, ask yourself whether it’s a need or want. Becoming more aware of why we buy things helps us become more conscious consumers. Challenge yourself by having a ‘no buy’ month or year.


Reduce and replace materials and resources including plastics, beginning with those ‘silly’ bags! This also includes energy and water use, and so on. Establish a club that revolves around sustainable lifestyles and activities, sharing sustainability tips through emails.

Buy local produce – and support local social entrepreneurs and responsible businesses. Or grow your own food, beginning with a pot or window box, using natural and nontoxic fertilisers and pesticides. Find local resources and services or gardening groups on social media and elsewhere.

Switch to a cleaner diet with more plant-based foods – try a meatless meal or soup!

Be more mobile and flexible – stand more and sit less, walk and talk, permit office vehicles for personal trips by staff, and provide office transport, promote support and logistics to enable work from home (WFH), experiment and train staff in conferencing software and protocols to replace in-person meetings to name a few.

Detoxify your working and living environments by switching to environmentally-friendly cleaning agents. Try baking soda for scrubbing, and vinegar and water with a dash of dishwashing liquid for windows. Additionally, detoxify behaviour by having a ‘Random Acts of Kindness Day’ in the workplace.

Declutter your home and office while listening to music – sell, give away and recycle! Explore local apps or entrepreneurs for reselling, or giveaways to charity sales and community initiatives for the needy and community libraries.

Get to know our island by traveling locally and authentically, using local curators and services providers that combine luxury with low carbon and low footfall tourism. Or learn about our beautiful island through digital talks.

Dispose of all waste responsibly. Separate different kinds of waste using specific bins, and identify where and to whom it can go afterwards.

And finally, begin and promote a wellness activity in your home or workplace that also yields productivity and mental health benefits. This can include yoga and meditation, ‘breathwork,’ a community garden or more.