When we start making changes in our life, our best method is to make them slowly, a little bit at a time so they become a habit.
Over time, we do more and our commitment to this change grows and becomes a lifestyle change.
We have always been committed recyclers and composters. Picking through the bins to pull out every last piece of recyclable. Composting EVERYTHING that we are able to, and then turning, mixing and applying the healthy soil back to our garden. We use the food we grow until there is NOTHING left of it, like this jelly we made from the SKINS of the peaches we canned, so all we were left with was a bowl of pits.
We grow our own food, we donate items we no longer use. We re-use items, repurposing them into things around the farm, like these old pallets we made into a chicken coop. We think three times before we throw something away, always trying to find a better way.
And yet, I still say we are not an “eco-family”. In my mind we are eco-average, because we CAN do more.
We can make better choices on the items we purchase, finding ways to not have a REASON to recycle, because no recyclables were brought into our home.
We can grow more food, remember to turn the lights off ALL the time. I can make homemade ALL the time… not just when it is convenient.
I can do more.
But, to make anything stick, it needs to become a habit, and much like training for a marathon, you need to start out slow and gain improvement over time. You need to add challenges so you can make improvements, and when your body has mastered one level, you need to push it to the next.
Our family has mastered recycling, reducing and reusing. We now need to challenge ourselves to take it to the next level. We believe that there is still further to go, and that by supporting ethical companies like SC Johnson, that are aware of their environmental impact and recycle their waste, we can make a difference.
Starting is good, and I encourage you to take the Mom 2 Mom Challenge below. Starting is joining the race, and beginning your training! My hope is that we all end up winners of this marathon together.
SC Johnson #SCJZeroWaste Giveaway
“Disclosure: I am part of the PTPA Brand Ambassador Program with SC Johnson and I received compensation as part of my affiliation with this group. The opinions on this blog are my own.”