GO VEGAN!

On the occasion of World Vegan Day, we asked Lucia Nonna, author of Diario di una famiglia vegan (Diary of a Vegan Family) and co-founder of the Rete Zero Waste (Zero Waste Network), to tell us about the benefits of a vegan lifestyle and what choices we can make every day for a more sustainable everyday life.

For her commitment to spreading a more conscious lifestyle, in 2019 Lucia Nonna received Greenstyle's Italian award as an Influencer committed to the environment.

Here's what she shared with us!

Oggi è il primo novembre e in tutto il mondo si festeggia il World Vegan Day, un’occasione in più per riflettere non solo sulle nostre scelte alimentari, ma anche sul nostro stile di vita.

Today is November 1, and all over the world we celebrate World Vegan Day, one more opportunity to reflect not only on our food choices, but also on our lifestyle.

According to the definition of the Vegan Society, founded in 1994 and promoter of this world day, choosing to go vegan means "to exclude, as far as possible and practicable, all forms of exploitation and cruelty to animals for the production of food, clothing or any other purpose."

The reasons behind this choice are many: more and more people each year are choosing to switch to a vegan lifestyle for ethical reasons; then there are those who favor plant-based eating for health reasons; and there are also those who come to this decision driven by environmentalist decisions.

Livestock farms are indeed a major source of pollution. The UN, in a well-known report (Livestock's Long Shadow) on climate change, pointed out that livestock farming contributes to environmental pollution by producing 40 percent more greenhouse gases than the entire global transportation sector, which includes all the trucks, planes, ships, trains and cars on this Planet. If we are concerned about global warming, we cannot overlook it.

Often in the face of news of melting ice, the extinction of entire species, and the disasters caused by climate change, it can happen that we feel helpless and think that we cannot make any difference, that our contribution, our small choices, will not bring any significant improvement.

If, however, we think about our groceries, what we choose to put on our plates every day, three times a day, and multiply that by the Earth's inhabitants...lo and behold, our 'small' choices are no longer so small.

Changing overnight for many people may be too drastic an action but starting with a 100% veg week or joining the worldwide movement of 'Meat Free Monday,' that is, committing to eating plant-based at least one day a week, is a big step in decreasing our footprint.

Being vegan, however, does not only involve food; it is an all-round sustainable lifestyle, which also involves, for example, clothing, choosing to buy garments, footwear and accessories that respect not only animals, but also the environment and the people involved in the production of our clothes. The impact of the model of fast fashion and mass production, thanks also to movements such as the 'Fashion Revolution,' is awakening more and more attention and awareness on the part of consumers, with a real revolution in the sector that is leading, for example, to an increase in second-hand purchases, and a rediscovery of slow fashion and 'less is more’.

Even in the world of cosmetics, it is possible to make more sustainable choices, in line with the vegan lifestyle, opting for formulations that do not contain ingredients of animal origin, and that are not tested on animals, favoring brands that aim not only at our well-being, but also the Planet’s.

 

Sendo Concept's Melting line, for example, represents an even more sustainable and environmentally friendly beauty routine, with water-reduced formulas and infinitely recyclable aluminum packaging to promote upcycling and reduce waste.

 

 

 

In addition to choosing thoughtful brands, to make our beauty routine even greener we can adopt some small tricks, such as applying a low-flow shower head to our shower. This simple action allows us to regulate the water jet while saving energy and money on our utility bills. With these devices, which can also be found online for a modest amount of money (20 euros and up), we can save up to 85 percent of the water used and consequently up to 75 percent of the energy used to heat the water.

 

Veg is a healthy, sustainable, and environmentally friendly way of eating and living, so: go vegan!