Maybe you’re a little like Stefanie. She’s very concerned about climate change and COVID—both are on her mind a lot. She’s looking for ways to sustain her lifestyle more. Why? So she can feel like she’s doing her part to help put climate change in reverse. But Stefanie wonders, “Can I really make a difference?” And, when it comes to COVID, she’s still getting used to all the new rules she has to follow to be safer. That’s a lot to worry about, isn’t it?
Well, here’s some good news. You (and Stefanie) can make a big difference with a few easy changes in your lifestyle. The trick is to make “sustain” the name of the game. In fact, these ideas are so compelling, you might even want to share them with your friends and coworkers. Imagine that. What if you could make a difference, and motivate others to join you? That might make you…an eco-hero. Actually, that’s exactly what the world needs right now. A whole bunch of eco-heroes. It all starts with you.
Read on to learn how to sustain even better.
Sustain Is the Name of the Game. 3 Easy Ways to Make a Difference in the World.
1) Sustain By Going #PlasticFree As Much As You Can
Did you know it takes about 450 years for a plastic bottle to decompose in a landfill?! That’s crazy! We have to put a stop to that immediately. Here are some things you can do to significantly reduce how much plastic goes into the ground.
A) Switch to reusable bags instead of plastic bags for shopping. According to BusinessEthics.com, it takes somewhere between 10-100 years for a plastic grocery bag to decompose in a landfill. Just imagine how many plastic bags you get when make a grocery run. Now think, “sustain.” Switching to reusable shopping bags (just you alone) can prevent thousands and thousands of plastic bags from going to landfills over your lifetime. Share this with others and inspire them to sustain, and that number is multiplied. You can make a difference. Switch to reusable shopping bags.
B) Switch to reusable water bottles. Break up with disposable water bottles forever, because they take forever to decompose. Well, not forever, but about 450 years, according to ForgeRecycleing.co.uk. Sustain your body with the water it needs, without the harmful plastic garbage that goes into a landfill.
Have fun with this. Go search for “water bottle” on Amazon and find one that really fits your personality. Take it with you everywhere.
The added bonus? Drinking water is so good for you! You’ll find that if you carry this with you everywhere, you’ll drink more water, stop using disposable drinking water bottles, and probably save a little at mealtime when you eat out by not buying a beverage.
2) Support Brands That Have “Sustain” on the Brain
Take the time to research the brands you support. Go to their websites and read about what they’re doing to sustain and reduce waste.
A) Start by reading their “About Us” page, and search their press release history to see if they might have made recent improvements in sustainability.
B) Chat or email the company to get specific answers about their sustainability practices.
You might find you need to stop supporting one brand and take your business to another. As companies start to lose business for these reasons, they’ll have no choice but to change for the better!
3) Start a Garden
Stefanie says, “I have never had my own garden. I have no idea where to even start.” Great. That’s what a lot of people say. We’re going to walk you through every step. Here’s a great article about how to start your own garden for beginners.
Growing your own produce has many benefits, both for you and the environment. Fresher produce is more nutritious. And the less produce you buy from stores, the smaller the store’s carbon footprint, and the less plastic bags are used. Now that’s a way to sustain your body and sustain your lifestyle at the same time.
How to Teach Simple Sustainability to Others
The way you’re going to make an even bigger impact to help reverse climate change is by sharing this information with your family, friends, and coworkers. We’re going to arm you with a some facts, problems, and solutions (just like we’ve already discussed in this article), so you can share it on social media. Stefanie really likes this idea, because she’s a little shy. She feels much more bold about telling the world how to sustain on social media!
What to Share On Social Media to Compel Others to Sustain More
Share the statistics and graphics from this article, and describe the problem you’re worried about. And what you’re doing to help solve it! Remember, sustain is the name of the game. Challenge your friends on social media to consider doing the same and share your content. Here are some factoids you can share online to help educate your followers.
Sustain Post Idea #1
SHARE: “Did you know it takes about 400-500 years for a plastic bottle to decompose?” Source: http://www.earthlyissues.com/recycling.htm
CHALLENGE your followers to break up with plastic water bottles for good.
Sustain Post Idea #2
SHARE: “Guess how long it takes a styrofoam cup to decompose in a landfill? More than 500 years. Some say maybe never!” Source: http://www.earthlyissues.com/recycling.htm
CHALLENGE your followers to stop using styrofoam cups, plates, bowls, and trays.
Sustain Post Idea #3
SHARE: “How long does it take Mother Nature to break down a leaf? Between 1 and 3 months.” Source: http://www.earthlyissues.com/recycling.htm
CHALLENGE your followers to find even better ways to be sustainable. Is using paper plates better than foam? By a longshot. But today, there’s an even better solution. Plates and bowls made from leaves! See what companies like Green Gatherings are doing to bring leaf-based food serving products to the world.
How to Share Sustainability Ideas With Management & Coworkers at Work
+ Stefanie decides to email an HR representative and ask for a 5 minute one-on-one meeting. When they meet, Stefanie is able to convey her genuine concern about sustainability and share a few suggestions she’d like the company to consider.
+ Stefanie gets excited and decides to plan a sustainable event, and shares it with the management. She thought ahead and imagined many of the details of a fun company event. She asked herself, “What kinds of food and sustainable supplies would make a difference and set an example? Maybe this event needs a theme. That could be fun.”
Need a little help? Take a quick look at “How to Write an Event Proposal (with a Template and Example)” provided by Indeed.com.
+ Stefanie decides to share event ideas with coworkers to get their feedback. If coworkers like your ideas, ask them if you can count on their support to help make it happen.
Conclusion
The truth is, the world needs an army of eco-heroes. We can’t wait and hope someone else will decide to do something about climate change. Sustainability is something we all need to commit to, so we can put it in reverse. It all starts with you. And if you share these solutions with your friends, family, coworkers, and the management at your job–you could make a really, really huge difference.
Decide to be an eco-hero. We need you on our team. The whole world needs you.
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Note: Green Gatherings is a fictional company. Green Gatherings products are not available for purchase. However, BioMart.ca is a real company which does sell these types of products.
Wow really informative and eye opening!