Learning to shine
4 minute read
Saving the planet is seen as an impossible task, especially when we’re busy worrying about saving other things, like money. Well, kiss those concerns goodbye with Hyundai’s Save&Save hacks. Not only are they great for the environment, but your wallet too. By making one or two small changes, such as using fewer products or car sharing, we can make a world of a difference. To prove how simple and effective living a sustainable lifestyle can be, we challenge four different people from different parts of the globe to test out some of our Save&Save tips.
A teacher becomes a
student of sustainability.
Carlton Smith, 29
Capturing Sustainable Challenges.
As a full-time educator and part-time photographer, Carlton leads a rather busy lifestyle juggling work and his passion. He has always felt comfort in living a fast-paced life, on his feet all day teaching and out of the house at night shooting street photography. So when we challenged him to try out three days of sustainable living, and lifestyle hacks that he could implement immediately, he gamely stepped up to the challenge.
Day One:
More than meats
the eye
A self-professed carnivore, there’s only one thing Carlton loves as much as teaching and photography – steak. So trying out our first Save&Save hack, shopping at the local butcher, Carlton was happy to find out more about the meat he loves. “I’ve always loved meat and fish, but I have noticed I end up with a lot of plastic and unnecessary packaging when I buy my meats from the supermarket,” explained Carlton.
Heading into the shop Carlton was confident he knew a lot about steaks but one quick chat with William, the store owner, and he was happily proven wrong. Armed with all the knowledge on cuts, aging, and marbling, Carlton had himself a selection of meats to take home and try. Most importantly, there was no excessive packaging and he was supporting a local business too. “I feel better already that this trip is taking a small step in helping the environment,” said Carlton.
Day Two:
Going green
In his free time over the weekends, Carlton has been indulging his green fingers in his plant nursery at home.
So he was really excited to try out composting his food waste. “I’ve always wanted to give composting a shot,
so this is perfect”, he said. This Save&Save hack tackles
the all-important challenge of food waste. The hack includes making your own compost bin at home and provides a great way to reduce your food waste, and produce fertilizer for your plants.
It's easy! To get started, all you need is a standard pail or bucket from the local DIY or home improvement store to designate your compost in. “I just popped down and picked up this compost pail and now I’m going to start filling it with dirt and top
it up with food waste” explained Carlton. In no time those herbs on the window sill will be looking healthier than ever.
Save&Save: Make Your Own Homemade
Compost First, find a large bucket that also has a lid with it. Next, using a screwdriver and drill bit, puncture 6 holes in a large circle on the lid, with 5 additional holes within the large circle to create a smaller circle. Then, drill 15 more holes on the sides of the bucket, making sure they are spaced apart properly. Lastly, turn the bucket upside down and create 7 holes on the bottom. Now you can place leaves, dirt, pruning leftover from plants, and grass cuttings on the bottom and add any food that remains on the top. After a few weeks, your compost will be ready to use!
I’ve always wanted to give composting a shot,
so this is perfect.
CARLTON SMITH
Day Three:
Staying
charged up
The hardest part about sustainable living is forming new habits that stand the test of time. Carlton knows for any habit to stick it needs to fit with his already busy lifestyle. So when we challenged him to reduce his water consumption his immediate reaction was, “Do I have to stop showering?”. But this Save&Save hack is pretty simple and didn’t require cutting any washing out of Carlton’s daily regime.
Carlton explains, “The first thought I had was to have shorter showers in the morning. Cutting my 5-7min shower down in half would be a sure-fire way to cut my water consumption”. And sure enough, a simple alarm for 3 minutes made sure Carlton was able to cut down his shower time, “Three minutes is more than enough if you just crack on with things” he added.
The world needs to act now if we are going to help the environment and these tips are a great way to get me started on the path to sustainable living. CARLTON SMITH
Hyundai &
Sustainable
Living
Hyundai Motor Company’s journey to a sustainable and innovative leader doesn’t just stop at these smart Save&Save hacks, we’re making giant leaps for the whole automotive industry itself. Whilst many are just waking up to fuel-cell electric vehicles, we’re well on our way to achieving our 2030 vision of producing over 500,000 of them annually. The road to sustainability is a long one, so make sure you pick the right vehicle!