LIVING ECOLOGICALLY

Our goal should be to produce as little waste as possible – no matter if it is a food packaging, unnecessary things or the food itself. In this article, we will give you some tips on how to use local possibilities in order to lead an eco-lifestyle. 

• Zero-waste shops

You can buy food, drinks and drugstore goods so that you do not produce waste. In the Czech Republic, there are currently more than 1,600 zero-waste stores, where you can buy goods in ecological packaging or use your containers, textile bags, etc. to wrap your goods. You can find a map of all zero-waste stores here: https://mapa.reduca.cz/

Even in a regular supermarket, you can be careful and prefer to buy unwrapped food (for example, fruit or vegetables), use a textile bag instead of a plastic bag or carry your own shopping bag (string bag, net drawstring bag, etc.) to the store.

• Rentals

Don’t buy things you do need, but know in advance that you will use them from time to time. Instead of spending money and clutter your house, use rentals. We recommend, for example, the Library of Things, where you can rent sports equipment, electronics, board games and much more for a small fee: https://www.libraryofthings.cz/

You can also borrow things from family members, friends and acquaintances. The main point is to stop buying stuff you don’t need. 

• Repair shops for broken stuff

If your favorite item has broken, you don’t have to throw it right away and buy a new one. A greener solution is to try to fix it first. It may happen that a small intervention by an expert will fix it for the next few years and it will save you not only money, but also save the planet from the unnecessary waste. Check this website for more information https://www.opravarna.cz/

Clothes and shoes can also be repaired. If your zipper breaks or your high heel is worn down, getting rid of things is not the right solution either. First, you could try to go to the nearest shoe store or tailor’s shop to fix it.

• Swap 

Swaps are events where stuff is exchanged between people. For example, you will bring a T-shirt that you no longer wear and take home a bottle of wine, another piece of clothing or cosmetics from another person. It is simply another way to get rid of things we don’t need. In Prague, these events take place quite often and are also thematically focused on, for example, clothing, cosmetics, gramophone records, books.… Just follow these events – on Facebook, https://goout.net/,etc.

Speaking of swaps, we highly recomment our upcoming swap event ECO NIGHT V HYBERNSKÝ which takes place on 2nd of September in Kampus Hybernská.

On Facebook, you could also become a member of groups in which exchanges of things are arranged individually.

• Donation of unnecessary stuff

Things that are no longer of value to you can come in handy for someone else. For example, use the website https://www.zpokojedopokoje.cz/ or https://www.nevyhazujto.cz/. By donating things, you can also support socially beneficial projects – such as the Sue Ryder, Moment or Přestupní stanice charity shops.

• Food donation

We should try to buy the amount of food we can consume on time. If you fail or for any other reason you have food at home that you will not consume, you can donate it to one of the community refrigerators: https://narodnipotravinovasbirka.cz/bezezbytku/

• Foods that can be placed in community refrigerators include:
• fresh fruits and vegetables
• uncured pastry
• dairy products until the date of minimum durability
• unopened cans, durable foods (pasta, rice, legumes, etc.), packaged drinks, etc.

We believe that these tips have broadened your horizons and trying our best to lead a greener life will help us to create a better world. If you have any additional questions, do not hesitate to contact us: https://icpraha.com/kontakty/.Say yes to ecological lifestyle ! :-)