Like Obelix, I became more aware of my waste management when my first child arrived.
I was already a fervent defender of the environment at the time, the notion of sustainable development simply took on even more meaning with my child, it became more concrete.
However, about the only people who seriously addressed the subject were the Common Front for Ecological Waste Management and Recyc-Québe c.
The pressure of current information that is emerging causes in many a completely understandable sense of urgency.
Even though we have been hearing about the urgent need to act for several years, many people no longer know where to turn.
Many want to bring about change but so many are being brought to our consciousness that it is difficult to begin.
Calms you !
Yes, it's important to get started, yes, it's important to start now. But... one step at a time, every action counts.
So we breathe and we choose a first gesture.
But how do we do it?
Easy, easy. We simply break it down into simple steps to integrate into our daily lives. Integrating a zero-waste lifestyle can be done without major involvement in our tumultuous lives of the 2000s.
1st step towards a zero waste lifestyle: we choose a room
First, we're going to focus on the places where we generate the most waste, the most pollution.
To make life even easier, in the average home, the two rooms most likely to generate waste are the bathroom and the kitchen.
So we're going to target the room where we feel equipped to act, to change our behavior to become more consistent with our environment's ability to support us and future generations.
So you choose one of the two, either the kitchen or the bathroom.
Step 2 towards a zero-waste lifestyle: study yourself
Before taking action, we bring to our consciousness our daily habits that generate waste in the room we've chosen.
We don't need any extra time or energy to do this. We continue our life as we know it by observing ourselves.
We're going to observe everything we have that has a single or limited use. Most of the time, we're referring to everything that has to do with packaging, both when we buy it and for its practicality.
Step 3 towards a zero-waste lifestyle: we choose
In the observations of the second stage, there are certainly a multitude of things you could change.
A job well done can bring out a mountain of observations.
Once again, don't panic. This step is all about choosing ONE thing you're comfortable with and can change.
For example, if you've chosen the kitchen, it might be to stop using the plastic bags offered in the produce section of your grocery store. Or, if you've chosen the bathroom, your decision could be to find an alternative to the plastic shampoo bottle.
Just one thing you feel comfortable implementing a new strategy for.
Step 4 towards a zero-waste lifestyle: take action
Once you've decided which habit you want to change, it's time to take action. In any case, if you already have leftover shampoo or plastic wrap, you are not going to throw it away!
The idea here is not to get rid of something you already have. What you have left can also allow you to take the time to find a replacement product or incorporate a new habit.
If we return to our examples, the plastic bag offered free in grocery stores for vegetables could be replaced by nothing at all or by a reusable vegetable bag while the bottled shampoo could be replaced by bulk liquid shampoo for you. allowing you to reuse your bottle or shampoo bar .
To find alternatives, you can browse the various websites specializing in zero waste and draw inspiration from them.
Fifth step towards a zero waste lifestyle: give yourself time and the right to make mistakes
Like a child learning to walk, we give ourselves the right to fall.
Some say it takes between 10 and 21 consecutive days to fully integrate a change of habit. So, we have the right to forget our vegetable bags... the important thing is to persevere.
Sixth step towards a zero waste lifestyle: we return to step 3.
Once our new habit is integrated into our daily life and we are comfortable, we return to step 3 to choose the next aspect to introduce into everyday life.
A little free advice: the members of your household are not following at the same pace as you, with respect for others, you can continue on your path. In this way, you will serve as a model and we need a lot of models!
We have also written an interactive list of complementary ecological habits. You can get it for free by clicking here . Sometimes the sending automation does not work. First check your spam and if it's not there, send us an email.
Ecologically yours,
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