Sustainable living

Sustainability means replacing everything we extract from nature. It was originally a term used in forestry, but there are many options available to us today to make sustainable, greener choices in our lives. For instance, you can make many things yourself instead of buying them. That ranges from cooking food at home, which is not only more sustainable and cheaper, but also tastes better, to upcycling old furniture or mixing cosmetics and cleaners yourself. Straight out of the oven and packed in an environmentally friendly way to be taken on the go – possible with a Villeroy & Boch Clever Cooking baking dish with lid.

The consumption of meat, but also of other animal products such as milk and eggs, has a pretty bad life cycle assessment. One single steak consumes about 4,000 litres of water, that corresponds to the water volume of more than 20 full baths. Moreover, animal farming causes a large portion of greenhouse gases and is, as is the case in South America, primarily responsible for the deforestation of the rainforest. A possible way out of this dilemma is a vegan, i.e. purely plant-based, diet. Or at least a reduction in meat consumption combined with a shift to high-quality organic meat from local farmers. Organic food does tend to cost a little more, however, it is not only healthier, but often tastier and at any rate more sustainable. Be inspired by our meat-free recipes – served here in the it‘s my match bowl Blossom.

Modern electrical appliances are often considerably more energy-efficient and in turn more environmentally friendly. Kettles with temperature control heat the water at the required temperature, so for filter coffee to 80 °C and not first to 100 °C, and therefore save energy in the long term. Whether you’re looking for a vacuum cleaner, refrigerator or washing machine: when you buy a new device, pay attention to its energy balance and choose a model with an energy efficiency category of A or better. And you can save up to 80% of your light energy by swapping lamps for modern LEDs; moreover, LEDs last significantly longer and are not as environmentally harmful to dispose of as energy-saving light bulbs. Villeroy & Boch has porcelain filter cones and other products for enjoying coffee moments sustainably.

By changing your diet and especially by reducing your meat consumption, you can save water on a large scale. But you can also play your part in protecting water, an essential resource, when you shower, bathe and wash. A toilet with a water-saving button consumes considerably less water for number ones. Waterless urinals don’t need any water at all. And a new jet regulator in your tap will reduce the volume of water flowing through without having to compromise on comfort and cleanliness.

Every time you shop, you can opt for more environmental protection by buying seasonal, regional food. It comes from the farms from the surrounding area, therefore extremely fresh and with a better life cycle assessment than fruit and vegetables that find their way to us from far away by plane or lorry. Moreover, you will also be making an important contribution to species protection here as the local fields and meadows are also an important food source and habitat for animals and insects. And you often have a better feeling when you can meet the farmers in person who you owe your products to.