Sustainability - Striking A Balance
One of the most pressing topics of our era is sustainability. How can we live responsibly on this planet, use resources well, and preserve our natural environment.
We are bombarded daily with stories on the news about the urgency of climate change, piles of rubbish washing up on beaches, statistics of food waste and deforestation, marine life caught in plastic bags, and on and on.
For those of us who already care deeply, and actively want to take care of our planet, these images can be distressing to say the least.
The obvious question when faced with these confronting messages is “what can we do to stop this?” And then more specifically “What can I do?”
We then receive copious messaging around making sustainable choices. “Use a paper straw instead of a plastic one” “Take your re-useable coffee cup to the cafe.” “Use a tote bag instead of plastic ones.” “Avoid food waste by meal planning.” “Mend your clothes instead of throwing them away.” Social media is full of “eco influencers” showing us their methods for reducing consumption and waste.
All of these things are a step in the right direction, but in my opinion they are also simultaneously “not enough” and “too much”. Let me explain:
Not enough: Manufacturers, distributors, and legislators not taking enough action and responsibility for what happens to their products and packaging once they are used up or reach the end of their functional life. A lack of consistent and easily accessible re-use and recycling infrastructure.
Too much: The burden of guilt is placed on the consumer to make sustainable choices. Individuals are required to divert from standard options in order to live more sustainably, often having to choose the less convenient and higher priced options in order to “do their bit”. Taking various individual items to many different locations to be re-used or recycled, and not even having the certainty that they will be.
It burns a special kind of rage of injustice in me when I see a huge proportion of my clients, many of whom have limited capacity, going out of their way and using precious time and energy to try to ensure that everything that leaves their house is either re-used or recycled, because surely that’s how things should be, right?!
But time and time again they come up against a lack of infrastructure to suit their good intentions. While many people at this point would see that there isn’t a good alternative and take the easier option of throwing things away, many of my clients really struggle with the sense of waste and guilt, and this is a common reason why things can pile up in their homes.
My advice for tackling this kind of blockage is as follows:
You can only do your best within the system as it currently stands. It’s my hope that better infrastructure will develop in the future, but legislation moves at a glacial pace, and until that time we can only do what is possible right now.
Weigh up the effort to impact ratio: What will it cost you (in time, energy, and money) vs how much of a difference will it make.
Be kind to yourself. Do what you can, and be gentle with what you can’t.
How do you weigh up sustainable choices in your life? What’s something you wish could be more accessible? I’d love to hear from you!
