Nature lover

Positive ways to encourage others to go green (Guest post)

Jan

Happy New Year everyone! Let’s hope 2021 brings us joy and good health. I’m thrilled to host this guest post from Michelle at Boomer Eco Crusader on green living. It’s always a good time to talk about how we can live a more sustainable life. I admit that I don’t do as much as I should, but I do love nature and I want to do my part to preserve it. This post from Michelle isn’t pushy. It’s not trying to make you feel guilty. But it did inspire me to try and be more green this year. Please take a few minutes to read this post for simple yet useful dos and don’ts on spreading the message of going green. Once you’re done reading, don’t forget pay a visit to Boomer Eco Crusader for handy tips on saving time, money and the environment. With that, let me make way for Michelle’s brilliant post.

Positive ways to encourage others to go green (Guest post)

At the beginning of 2019, I set a goal to step up my waste reduction efforts and adopt a more eco-friendly lifestyle. What started out as a simple desire to reduce single-use plastic quickly grew into a passion for green and sustainable living. I was excited and couldn’t wait to get others on board, but I knew I had to approach it the right way if I wanted people to embrace the message.

My philosophy with green living, and most other things in life, is progress not perfection. Zero-waste chef Anne-Marie Bonneau said it best “We don’t need a handful of people doing zero-waste perfectly. We need millions of people doing it imperfectly.”

Since starting my waste reduction journey, I’ve made a lot of changes. I firmly believe that every small change makes a difference and I am happy to be one of the millions of people doing zero-waste imperfectly.

Some holding a pen over a paper that reads 'reduce, reuse, recycle'
Photo by Vlada Karpovich on Pexels.com

How the zero-waste movement turns people off

I’ll be honest, though. I have a problem with the zero-waste movement. Knowingly or unknowingly, some zero-waste enthusiasts communicate an unrealistic and ideological standard of perfection. I’ve seen countless posts of mason jars supposedly containing a whole year’s worth of trash. That kind of result is beyond the reach of the average person. The well-intentioned message can do more harm than good if people get discouraged and give up their efforts to reduce waste.

When I first decided to make reducing waste a priority, I joined several zero-waste Facebook groups with a goal of learning and exchanging ideas with like-minded people. While I did get some tips, I quickly learned I had little in common with many of these people.

I recall a particular exchange that turned me off so much I left one of the Facebook groups I had joined.

It all started when one of the group members posted a picture of a bag of frozen avocados. The poster commented about people being so lazy they can’t be bothered to cut up avocados. I innocently replied that avocados don’t grow natively in many areas. For those of us who live in colder climates, the nutritional value of frozen fruits and vegetables is superior to the “fresh” fruits and vegetables we buy in the winter. I explained that most of the fresh produce in Canadian supermarkets in the winter has travelled thousands of miles from the field to the supermarket.

Well, did I get attacked! From reading the comments, anyone would think I had confessed to being a serial killer. I was told living in a cold climate was no excuse and I should grow or buy enough fruits and vegetables in the summer and freeze them to eat all winter. Now, that’s not a bad idea in theory, but who has a big enough freezer for that? Not me, that’s for sure.

After a few more back and forth comments, I found the Leave Group button and got the heck out of there!

Better ways to get people on board

Picture of a glass mug that that the words 'keep cup' on it
Photo by Polina Tankilevitch on Pexels.com

I’m pretty stubborn. That experience didn’t discourage me from my waste reduction efforts, but it could have. Instead, it made me reflect on better ways to get people onside with green living.

Ultimately, each of us can only control our own choices and our own behaviour. If we really want to get people to adopt an eco-friendly lifestyle, making them feel bad is not the answer.

Even at home, I sometimes get eye rolls from my family when I make some changes. That’s okay. I believe in what I’m doing and will continue.

Here are some dos and don’ts to keep in mind when sharing your passion for green living with others.

Do

  • Focus on your own efforts and lead by example. You’ll be surprised how many conversations start from someone seeing something you are doing.
  • Take the opportunity to educate, when people ask. Explain your motivations and how eco-friendly living has helped you save money and be healthier, in addition to helping the planet.
  • Celebrate small victories. My husband isn’t always on board with my efforts, but the last two Christmases he wrapped my gifts in newspaper. Result!
  • Look for ways to introduce small, simple changes. Last year, a co-worker and I were organizing a team lunch at work. Instead of ordering bottled water, we asked everyone to bring their own water bottle. No one complained and we saved a dozen or more plastic bottles.
  • Give eco-friendly gifts like reusable cups and shopping bags, metal straws or products from local businesses. It might just inspire someone to act. In fact, it was a Christmas gift from my sister-in-law that started me on my waste reduction journey.
A woven fabric bag full of fruit and veggies
Photo by Taryn Elliott on Pexels.com

Don’t

  • Preach. Nagging people is rarely the way to get them onside with anything. In fact, it’s more likely to have the opposite effect.
  • Judge. Don’t assume you know why people do or don’t do anything.
  • Expect perfection. The last thing you want to be is one of “those people” that made me run screaming from the Facebook group.

Find a supportive community

Since that early exchange, I have joined a couple of other local zero-waste Facebook groups. The discussions are much more helpful and friendly. These are the like-minded people I was looking for. That’s what the zero-waste movement should be!

How do you get people on board with your waste-reduction efforts? Tell me below.

Thanks Michelle for joining Jan On The Blog for this guest post to spread an important message. I’m going to try and keep green living at front of mind this year. Readers, don’t forget to pay Boomer Eco Crusader a visit for more tips on saving time, money and the environment.

If you thought this post was any good, don’t forget to Like it 🙂 Follow or connect with Jan On The Blog to stay updated on new posts.

https://janontheblog.com/contact/

Want to collab with Jan On The Blog?

Published by Jan

Working mom by day and blogger by night, from the land down under in Melbourne, Australia. Jan On The Blog is a lifestyle blog with a little bit of everything because variety is the spice of life! :)

38 thoughts on “Positive ways to encourage others to go green (Guest post)”

  2. Pingback: Positive ways to encourage others to go green (Guest post) - Boomer Eco Crusader

  3. I agree with all of Jan’s suggestions. I interact with small children on a regular basis and am often reminded about how powerful the dynamic of “money see, monkey do” is. Leading by example and “walking the walk” is always best. I ride a bike and walk and use public transportation, which often surprises my car-using friends. Occasionally I point out the exercise I get transporting myself (and my groceries) via bike or on foot — sometimes I mention the extra time for reading that using public transportation gives me. I think that our human challenges right now regarding climate change, our massive plastic contamination of ecosystems around the globe, etc, are often terrifying and/or heart-breaking to contemplate — and many of us translate those strong emotions into over-zealous encouragement of others (which may end up discouraging rather than encouraging them…)

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Thanks so much for reading and sharing your thoughts. The suggestions were from the brilliant Michelle.
      Kudos to you for doing you’re part in sustainable living! I want to take more small steps myself.
      You’re quite right, the extent of the damage we collectively do to the environment is appalling. But like Michelle rightly says, every small step counts. And leading by example is really the way to go.

      Like

      Reply

  4. Great post! I strive to make eco friendly choices but I don’t drive myself crazy over it. I have reduced the waste my family creates by making some simple changes. We use cloth napkins, absorbent cloths for paper towels, reusable shopping bags and produce bags. The biggest changes we made were simply to stop buying things we don’t need and start spending a little more on quality items instead of something cheaply made.

    I have found some similar minded people through blogging and I have enjoyed hearing what others do so I can continue to make small changes for my family.

    I think when people are really making the changes to help the environment they are more understanding and appreciate all small choices. Just like you, I don’t want to be discouraged by the idea of perfection, I just want to do what I can to make a small difference.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    1. Thanks Suzanne. You make a great point about balance. We have to apply common sense to all of this and accept imperfection or we will drive ourselves crazy.

      I saw a quote recently from Joshua Becker (author of The Minimalist Home) that said something along the lines of the most environmentally friendly product is the one you don’t buy – a great reminder for all of us.

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

    2. Right you are! Every little step counts. And we do need to the save the planet. 🌍
      Thanks for reading and sharing your thoughts ☺️

      Like

      Reply

  6. A very well written post, Michelle! Thanks for sharing this, Jan, I really enjoyed it. I’m that person who needs a gentle nudge to do things, and honestly since following Michelle’s blog, I’ve been making more conscious decisions to save the planet. The quote on millions of people imperfectly acting is brilliant! It just goes to show that just a little goes a long way. And the avocado story… the only thing left was to tell you to grow a tree in your kitchen!

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

  7. Leading by example is such a great way to encourage change! Discussing our lifestyle ways is a wonderful way we learn from our friends, neighbors, and new relations. Knowing why we do what we do is also a great way to be able to relay why it is important to our way of life. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  9. Thank you, Michelle, for allowing me to get great green (say that three times!) ideas from seeing (and hearing) you lead by example. Because of your elimination of using plastic straws, I too now only use metal ones. Thanks for an excellent post (and I’m sure glad you left the ‘avocado’ group!)

    Like

    Reply

  12. This is a great post to illuminate those with extreme eco preferences. Guilt tripping someone is not the way to encourage people to act responsibly and possibly could alienate them. I like that Michelle has recommended subtle changes and gift ideas is an excellent way to spread the message in a positive way. Keep chipping away. From little things big things can grow.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Thanks for the lovely words. I agree, Michelle conveys a valuable message in such a positive way!
      ‘From little things big things can grow’ –
      I love that!
      Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

      Like

      Reply
  14. Pingback: Simple and easy tips to ‘go green’ in your everyday life (Collab post) – Jan On The Blog

Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.