We love shopping and eating out but we often feel guilty because of the environmental costs. However, over the years we have been seeing a slow but sure behavioral shift towards greener living in Kuwait. And now that most of the population in Kuwait has spent most of the last two months at home we’re all starting to notice a difference. Whether it is real or perceived, we all know that our consumption causes damage. At bazaar, most of us are forgoing plastic water bottles and opting for the reusable variety every day. Some of us refuse to accept plastic whenever we can and carry cloth totes or just pile our purchases in our bags. And we know that it’s not just us, we have noticed that there are so many local establishments that are making the switch to more sustainable options.
Kuwait might not be Paris or Milan, but we definitely are a country of fashion lovers. Just take a quick stroll in the Avenues (remember those?) and you will see that everyone loves putting together a fabulous outfit. And while we are not ready to break up with our favorite fashion giants, we are seeing more slow fashion brands popping up. From brands like Maya (@mayaeco) that focus on sustainably produced items to the thrift store Odette’s Closet (@odettes_closette) and NAZ World (@world.naz) that offers luxury designer rentals, consumers now have so many different options. There’s even a fitness wear brand that offers greener options, called Eco Fits (@ecofitskw). We still wish we could own ALL THE THINGS, but we keep telling ourselves that we won’t buy more because we care about the planet.
Food packaging is another huge polluter, and thanks to the VSCO girls everyone feels bad for the turtles being killed by plastic straws. So many restaurants and cafes have stopped using single use plastic and have replaced them with paper, bamboo or other biodegradable materials. You can also easily find and purchase your own reusable straw from Ao (@ao.kwt). They also have green options for everyday items like toothbrushes and razors. It is more difficult to replace the everyday items that we just take for granted, like cotton swabs. Luckily you can find alternatives at The Humble Co (@hu.kwt).
Supermarket plastic bags are terrible, they take forever to break down. Lots of major cities and countries around the world have already banned their use. Last September, the Union of Consumer Co-Operative Societies announced that they would be phasing out single use plastic bags and replacing them with biodegradable ones. Many of the big-name supermarket stores have also made the transition. If you are a brand owner and need environmentally friendly packaging options Avani Eco Kuwait (@avani.kw) has everything from bags to boxes that will work for you.
It is definitely a move in the right direction. However, our solution is to just not use them and bring your own reusable bag when you go shopping. We are pretty attached to our canvas bags from The Untitled Bag (@theuntitledbag_kw) that are screen-printed with local snazzy designs. The Green Bag Project (@thegreenbagproject) make several sizes for produce too, which are perfect!
If you feel that these are all small changes, the Trash Tag team (@trashtagkuwait) are out there cleaning up our beaches. They are leveraging the power of large numbers to clean up large areas in short spans of time by bringing people together. In a recent bazaar tries, we joined in and realized that not only is it a lot of fun, it can also be very rewarding, as the experience is an eye opener. Even if you don’t litter (which we hope you aren’t doing), plastic is very difficult to get rid of and it is just easier to not use it in the first place.
We have also been seeing more electric vehicle charging points popping up all over Kuwait and more automakers marketing their cars in the region. We’re sure that change is not going to happen overnight but it is heartening to see that things are finally moving in the right direction. And if you can’t replace your gas guzzling car just yet, consider public transportation. You can find lots of information on Kuwait Commute (@kuwaitcommute) to get you started. We don’t know about you, but we really want to enjoy fresh air and clean beaches for as long as we are alive, so let’s all do our part.
Bonus: Check out Eco8’s paperless reusable coloring mat for kids. All the fun, none of the waste!
You can help too! If you know of a business or an initiative that helps us make better choices please let us know. Photo by sheri silver on Unsplash.
