Practising Imperfect Sustainability

Switching to an environmentally sustainable lifestyle and ditching plastic altogether can feel like a big step. We can try changing our eating habits, start using environmentally friendly brands and steer clear from avoidable car rides.  

But reaching absolute and perfect sustainability is nearly impossible. We will forget our reusable water bottles, find ourselves disposing of biodegradable waste incorrectly or book that convenient Uber ride rather than getting the tube. Living as part of this society forces us to make unsustainable choices on a daily basis.

This doesn’t mean that we should give up! One solution, as seen in one of the recent trends on TikTok, is to practice “imperfect sustainability”. This term refers to efforts made towards sustainable living, like trying not to buy fast fashion and plastic as much as possible, but also not punishing ourselves if it is our only option. Try to remember to carry our tupperware and thermos so as not to use disposables, but do not feel bad if we forget.

Imperfect Sustainability by TikTok user @impactforgood_

Imperfect sustainability means making realistic swaps and down-to-earth changes to our lifestyle that make sense: packaging-free household products, 100% bamboo toilet paper like Who Gives A Crap, or buying pre-loved and used clothes from platforms like Depop and eBay; switch to refillable beauty products and - our favourite - the first PETA-certified biodegradable press-on nails (wink, wink) here at Claws. Imperfect sustainability means it’s OK to start somewhere.