The Decalogue of Sustainability

This article is published in issue 4 of Vanity Fair on newsstands until January 27, 2020

It is now clear: the future of the Earth depends on our daily choices. “If the world population continues to grow as predicted, reaching 9.6 billion by 2050, we would need the equivalent of nearly three planets to provide the natural resources necessary to support current lifestyles,” he points out. Bruno Pozzi, director ofEuropean Office of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP).

The big challenge? «Change mentality. 2021 must be the year in which we finally understand that our well-being and health are linked to those of the planet and that all our actions and decisions have consequences.“. Together with Asvis, the Italian Alliance for Sustainable Development, Legambiente and WWF Italy we have identified ten behaviors that increase eco-sustainability.

1.CHANGE DIET
“The whole agri-food system has a very strong impact on global diversity”, underlines Eva Alessi, Head of Sustainable Consumption of WWF Italy. “The solution is to adopt a diet based on six keywords:”locale“(0 km seasonal products and enhancement of the excellence of the Italian agricultural sector),”biological“(Foods obtained without the use of pesticides),”vegetable“(Fresh seasonal fruit and vegetables),”responsible“(Reduced consumption of meat and more fish of lesser known adult species),”varia“(Diversification of foods, avoiding those that are too processed),”antispreco“(Buy only food that is consumed)”.

2. DO (WELL) SEPARATE WASTE COLLECTION
Differentiating means saving on the withdrawal of resources in kind. “We can obtain new plastics by regenerating those already used, without using oil, glass and paper from scratch,” explains the WWF Italy expert. «It should be borne in mind that, on the plastic front, in Italy only single material packaging is recycled. Furthermore, a correct recycling of the bottles must foresee a horizontal pressure of the plastic and not from top to bottom, always with the cap screwed on ». To reduce waste production upstream, a good practice is to buy loose products whenever possible: «To avoid packaging, fruit, vegetables, meat, fish can be chosen directly at the counter of markets and supermarkets. Also preferred are the so-called refill shops, where you buy food and products in bulk, using their own containers ».

3. DRESS IN A “RESPONSIBLE” WAY
According to the European Environment Agency, between 1996 and 2015 the per capita amount of clothing purchased increased by 40 percent. “We buy nearly 13 kilos of clothes each and 30 percent of the clothes in our closets have not been used in the last year. In Italy we have the European record for tons of clothes disposed of: 7.2 kg eliminated every year per person, of which only one and a half kilograms are recycled, the rest goes to landfills or to the incinerator ”, highlights Eva Alessi of WWF Italy. «It is therefore important to avoid excesses and buy responsibly. Better to buy fewer but higher quality garments, so that they last over time, always focusing on natural fabrics, such as cotton, wool, silk, preferably of organic production. There are also economic lines with organic materials, which guarantee us that the production of cotton has not had a strong impact on the environment ».

4. INVESTING IN ENERGY EFFICIENCY
A measure for sustainability that at the same time saves on bills: “Investing in energy efficiency, specifically making use of the 110 percent Superbonus tool currently available, helps in three directions: environmental, social and economic”, says Katiuscia Eroe , Head of Energy of Legambiente. «It allows to reduce consumption and consequently to save on the bill by acquiring greater spending capacity in daily life. In addition, lower energy consumption means lower production of climate-altering emissions and air pollutants, an aid for the community in terms of health. Finally, the efficient houses increase their market value by 10-15 percent ».

5. REDUCE THE USE OF MICROPLASTICS
Synthetic garments are full of microplastics, which release them during washing, polluting the seas. “Clothes dump half a million tons of microfibres into the oceans every year: the equivalent of 50 billion plastic bottles”, explains the eco-toxicologist of WWF Italy. Solution? “Limiting the use of synthetics only to necessary areas such as technical fabrics for sports”. In Italy, since last year, microplastics have been banned in body cleansers. «However, some of the non-rinse cosmetics still persist, for example in the make-up and glitter creams, tiny plasticized particles. Let’s not ban them completely from our life, but let’s drastically reduce their use ».

6. INCREASE MICROMOBILITY
“For short trips we use bikes, skates, scooters, we offer rides and we do car sharing with friends,” says Eva Alessi of WWF Italy. “These vehicles reduce polluting emissions and improve the quality of life by halving travel times and reducing costs”, adds Katiuscia Eroe, Head of Energy at Legambiente.

7. LIMIT THE USE OF CHEMICALS
Between detergents and perfumers, today’s homes are full of chemicals. “We recover the cleaning methods used in the past: they involved the use of low-impact substances such as bicarbonate, vinegar and lemon,” says Eva Alessi of WWF Italy. And to better perfume the rooms? “We opt for natural ingredients such as dried citrus peels or spices such as cinnamon.”

8. FIGHTING TAX EVASION
Sustainability is also expressed on the economic front. “Italy’s delay in terms of sustainability concerns tax evasion: over 110 billion euros every year. If we add illegal work and the exploitation of millions of workers, all this makes our country fragile », underlines Enrico Giovannini, spokesman for Asvis. “There is a relationship between evasion, low productivity and low growth. Because these behaviors mean that companies, especially the smaller ones, contribute less to productivity: the possibility of evasion, in fact, does not generate in them the need to be innovative and invest in development and in people “.

9. CONSUME 100 percent RENEWABLE ENERGY
A choice based on sustainability also concerns the electricity bill. “One thing that each of us can do to be sustainable at zero cost is to opt for an operator that supplies 100 percent renewable energy,” suggests Katiuscia Eroe, Head of Energy at Legambiente. «Today we have on the market several operators who offer it, certified and guaranteed, generally with a reduced cost in the bill. A choice of this kind means to stop fueling one’s consumption with fossil fuels ».

10. ENHANCE BIODIVERSITY
You can also offer your contribution to enhance biodiversity. “It is enough to set up a sort of B&B on the balcony of the house, creating small shelters for solitary bees, a bat box for bats (each bat eats 2,000 mosquitoes every evening!), An artificial nest for great tits, robins, wrens”, suggests Eva Alessi of WWF Italy. «Creepers can become shelters for geckos and lizards and aromatic herbs useful in the kitchen also represent an invitation for butterflies and pollinators». But be careful with the use of chemical products for plants: «If they get sick frequently, perhaps they are not suitable for the exposure or climate of the place where we live; let’s choose them wisely, in order to have them naturally healthy ».

To subscribe to Vanity Fair, click here.