Five sustainable living trends that could catch on in 2024

Despite accounting for only 0.8% of the global greenhouse gas emissions annually, Thailand is among countries severely affected by climate change.

Agriculture is suffering the effects of climate change more than any other sector, with an expected financial damage of up to 2.850 trillion baht between 2011 and 2045.

Among several methods to deal with the environmental impact, five trends are expected this year:

Goodbye to single-use plastics

Using plastic bags could increase the amount of waste and cause an impact on the environment. Thailand used up to 45 billion plastic bags annually, according to the Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning.

Hence, it is not too late to search for bags that suit shoppers' lifestyle and can be used for many years. It would also keep up with global trends as many countries have banned the use of plastic bags.

Several venues are expected to implement measures to follow this trend, especially shopping malls.

Say no to artificial grass turf

Several agencies have launched campaigns to grow real grass because its roots can store carbon dioxide, which is among causes of global warming.

Even though artificial grass turf helps mitigate housework, small animals cannot live under this environmental condition, and it also causes a bad odour after rainfall.

Avoid following fashion

Many people have witnessed the impact of fast fashion on the environment and changing trends cause a lot of waste.

Entrepreneurs are paying attention to circular fashion as textile was ranked fourth among industries that caused an impact on the environment, following food, construction and transportation.

Meanwhile, several experts believe that sustainable fashion will become popular this year.

Hence, is it better to look for desirable clothes that can be worn for a long time?

Expanding the green area at home

Apart from being a multipurpose area, flat roof is now popular among people as they can grow grass or other plants on it to expand their green area.

According to search engine provider Google, search volume for “rooftop garden” increased significantly since the middle of last year.

Focusing on natural building materials

The cement industry is one of largest producers of carbon dioxide, creating up to 5% of worldwide man-made emissions.

Instead of traditional concrete, a variety of eco-friendly materials can be used for building houses, such as:

▪︎ Ashcrete - a mixture of fly ash, borate, bottom ash and chlorine compound.

▪︎ Hempcrete - a mixture of hemp hurds (shives) and lime, sand, or pozzolans.

▪︎ Mycelium - a root-like structure of a fungus consisting of a mass of branching, thread-like hyphae.

These materials can mitigate the warm temperature inside residences.