Sustainable living means reducing your demand for natural resources by either replacing or recycling what you use. It’s about reducing your carbon footprint and your impact on the environment by being conscious of your choices and actions. Remember, every time you leave your devices plugged in overnight, jump in your car when you could’ve walked, or buy imported food, you aren’t being energy-efficient. This has a cumulative, long-term negative effect on the planet. Sustainability improves the quality of our lives, protects our ecosystem and preserves natural resources for future generations.

Try these 20 simple ways to incorporate this mindset into everyday living:

1. Eat locally-grown food and ensure you buy it without packaging whenever possible.
2. Turn off the lights when you leave a room and take advantage of natural light whenever you can.
3. Go paperless. Get bills and bank statements emailed to you.
4. Plant a veggie garden. It doesn’t have to be huge or complicated – even a few pots can do the trick.
5. Support local – and shop at neighbourhood markets and small home industries.
6. Ditch those plastic shopping bags for good.
7. Lower the temperature of your geyser – and put it on a timer. Even better, invest in solar.
8. When it comes to clothes and household goods, swap – don’t shop.
9. Recycle – and upcycle – wherever possible.
10. Collect rainwater for your garden, and keep buckets in your shower too.
11. Choose a plant-based diet – or at least one meat-free day a week.
12. Buy only energy-efficient appliances, especially when it comes to fridges, stoves and washing machines.
13. Ditch single-use plastic bottles, bags, and straws.
14. Choose Fair Trade-certified goods when possible to support companies dedicated to sustainable production.
15. Use natural cleaning products.
16. Fix leaking taps and toilets to avoid wasting water.
17. Where possible, repair or fix instead of replacing.
18. Use LED light bulbs to save electricity.
19. Opt for wood-burning fireplaces.
20. Give edible, home-made gifts.

As we become more aware of our environmental footprint, and make an effort to minimise it, we expect businesses to do the same. As one of the leading companies in Africa, Vodacom plays a key role in adding value to people’s lives in the most conscientious way possible through environmental policies and sustainable initiatives.

Communication technology is the way to ensure that a society of nine billion people has access to basic needs and healthy, positive, safe lives – and Vodacom actively works towards creating a sustainable future, constantly adapting to the best possible practices.

Click here to find out more about Vodacom's sustainability efforts.