Ecology, Veganism: A New Trend?

Nowadays the issue of environmental problems and human's influence on the Earth is on every tabloid. But how it influences the society, Alexandra Belyaeva knows.

Recently, the problem of ecology and rational lifestyle has gained incredible popularity. Huge streams of information are pouring from every news source, blog, channel, initiating people into the situation on the planet, urging them to fight with what man has done to nature.

But it is also noticeable that there is a huge portion of people who blindly follow all beliefs, sometimes even to the detriment of not only themselves, but the entire planet. We are talking about those who followed the choice of veganism and rational consumption out of a desire to appear "trendy".

Of course, this new trend on healthy and ethic lifestyle has a lot of pros that might change ecological situation on our planet. However, it is not only about to be on the top of your Instagram due to discussing terrible murders among animals and water pollution. First and foremost, there is the goal to change human’s perception of nature, their consumption and routine without “show”.

 Let’s have a look on a several steps to start helping our planet stay alive.

Plastic is the worst, but not useless anymore

Plastic is the most common type of garbage that can be found everywhere: in a river, in a forest, on the road and in the stomach of a bird. Remember about it when you decide to throw something from your pocket on the street. It is noticeable that now there are many plastic substitutes that can decompose much faster, but still there is no solution for plastic garbage, which is really complex to recycle. Therefore, try to use plastic objects repeatedly and as long as possible, find new applications for old containers or bags. And do not forget to throw your garbage in a special containers, take a look on this map for Moscow with them: https://recyclemap.ru/ and for Saint-Petersburg too: https://recyclemap.ru/spb

Do not try to follow “green” trends without your own opinion and knowledge about situation

In this case, it is quietly important to be careful with information from blogs, videos or articles, cause usually authors advise replacing your lifestyle with a new one, but they avoid the story that this should be done gradually and consciously. “Go vegan!” No, it should be like that: “Change your lifestyle, pay attention to your diet, be confident in your choice”. Cause sometimes followers of influencers abruptly stop consuming meat, which causes gastritis or anemia. This blind adherence to recommendations harms both you and the planet.

Shoppers and keep-cups

Firstly, it suits everyone, and these items can be a great accessory to your outfit. Secondly, for students it is a good way to save their money or get a discount in café or museum! Moreover, there is a huge number of different designs, you can create your special one, since there are a lot of web-sites offering this option.

Ethic fashion and shopping

Ethical materials - artificial or plant materials that have never been part of any animal. There is a separate organization that defines the ethical framework not only for clothing brands, but also for other manufacturers. Peta is an organization that positions its activities as a struggle for animal rights. PETA payed the Biggest High-Street Fashion Moment Award. It receives democratic brands that have refused to use mohair. Among them:

• Gap
• Mango
• Marks & Spencer
• Zara
• H&M
• Topshop

Visit these shops and find ethical dresses for you.
In addition to shopping in ethical brands, there are many other ways to change your consumption to help the planet. To help make these decisions easier for you, I have listed several steps:

• Clothing swap with your friends
• Second-hand
• Keep in mind one rule: less to buy, longer to wear
• Repairing and designing your old clothes

I have a several recommendations of bloggers on whom you can subscribe and follow the latest news and tips in the field of “green” lifestyle”:
- https://www.instagram.com/tashatale/ – she is my favorite one. Tasha shares recipes, stories from nurseries, motivates to love herself and our planet through a conscious lifestyle.
- https://www.instagram.com/avocadosasha/ – Sasha also shares information about healthy and vegs lifestyle, but from a scientific point of view!
- https://www.instagram.com/waffledeer/ – if you have some questions about confident veganism, check Nastya’s profile.

Text by
Alexandra Belyaeva