5 ways to encourage friends to be more sustainable
Many imperfect environmentalists are better than one person who acts alone!
Sometimes people think that being sustainable is “black or white”. They are scared to make the first steps because they already know they won’t be perfect. But in this journey to a more sustainable lifestyle, the truth is a lot of small actions put together can make a big difference. Every action, even the smallest, can make a difference. To the ones who don’t believe that I say to think about how a small mosquito can bother them, it can make a huge difference in their day. Our planet doesn’t need few extremists, but a lot of people who try to do the best they can.
For this reason, we are here to talk about how you and I can convince people who don’t consider climate change that important to start being more sustainable.
Here the 5 easiest ways I tried to encourage family and friends. Let’s start!
#1 Become Santa Claus and make sustainable gifts
I try to give little sustainable presents to friends or family. Everyone likes to receive a gift and the hope is they will like it, ask for more information and in the long term maybe they will switch to that more sustainable option.
If I don’t want to spend money to buy gifts, I try to self-produce something which has an easy recipe. My friends are super happy to receive something new and there is a good probability they ask me how I have created it. Hopefully, they will be influenced, and they will start to self-produce as well. I suggest you to try to do the same and don’t worry about the product, it can be mayonnaise or solid shampoo, a t-shirt created from a dress you don’t like anymore, or a new candle created from nearly finished old ones. It doesn’t matter what you gift, the goal is to spread a sustainable mindset!
#2 Inform and tell evidence
Sometimes I also try to make practical examples and show pieces of evidence we live in everyday life.
I try to think about what the person I’m talking to cares about. When I have realized what does he/she likes more I start to tell evidence and inform calmly and positively about how that can change. I try to make him/her think to have a constructive comparison between how it is and how it will be.
#3 Don’t be too hard with yourself and others: small steps are the key!
What to do if family and friends say that changing habits is too hard? I try not to push them too hard, instead I suggest them to improve themself step by step.
I suggest them to take their phone or calendar and challenge themself. They have to decide some little goals they want to reach and the timing, their way to a more sustainable lifestyle will be easy peasy lemon squeezy!
Within two weeks they won’t consume plastic bottles. Then for the next month they should try not to buy that new cool jumper they don’t need. And go on like this. Of course, these are only examples. The goal is they will have fun and if they will manage to succeed, they will feel proud of themselves and they will maintain the good new habits!
#4 Silent activism
Sometimes the best strategy is to act silently. I take the initiative and generate curiosity in the people around me. The easiest but effective way to involve people in the cause is to make sustainable actions when I’m with them. I bring the lunch box or I pick up that plastic bag on the ground. The people who are with me will get curious and ask for more or just have a good example they can follow.
Think about reusable bottles, until some years ago only a few people (read: nobody) used them but in the last years they are even becoming a trend. Probably many people have seen a friend using it and the first time they were stunned, but in the end, evaluating its convenience they converted themselves.
#5 The easiest way to buy sustainable fashion
Family and friends have no excuses anymore about buying sustainable clothes. Thanks to Renoon, the search platform for sustainable fashion, the path is easy! They don’t need to search a lot and get crazy to find sustainable clothes, on Renoon they have all they want and everything follows sustainable standards. Everyone needs to understand how even small gestures, like choosing an organic cotton t-shirt, compared to a polyester one, are very important and part of the change.
Renoon is an important step to where the fashion industry should be by making those informed decisions on what you’re buying. As a plus on Renoon’s app, you can choose the values you prefer and which issues are a priority for you individually.
The bottom line
To convince people to be more sustainable is not easy at all, but probably following some or all these suggestions you will be able to convert someone to a more sustainable journey. And everyone should remember what Great Thunberg said: “This is not a one-time thing, this is our future.”
