Perfection vs. Progress
This Waste Not Wednesday, let’s talk about perfection. Did you know that every time you use a reusable bag, a penguin gets its wings?
Just kidding. What happens is one fewer bag goes into the landfill. Sometimes though, you’re stuck using that bag, and you might feel like you personally let down a penguin somewhere. Sankoty Sustainables exists to provide easy alternatives to reduce waste. We believe one small change can snowball into more, but the truth is, if we accept nothing less than perfection, we are guaranteed failure. So how do we avoid the perfectionist trap?
First, try to have the mindset that any small change you make to be more environmentally friendly is a positive change, and any time you rely on your previous methods is just neutral, rather than “bad.” Unless you are using your spare time to chop down trees and dump oil on the ground, you living your life is not inherently a bad thing. Every time you don’t use the earth-friendly option is not a “failure.” In fact, giving yourself more breathing room can help you stay motivated, leading to a more positive impact overall!
Second, remember what is in your control and what isn’t. With the systems in place around us, each of us has to do what is best with the resources currently at hand, and taking on guilt for a waste problem that is worldwide and largely unavoidable is not helpful to anyone. Instead of feeling guilty, give yourself credit for trying to buck those systems! When enough people do this, it leads to more stores like ours existing while also forcing big corporations to change.
Third, look to the future with hope! Not only are we getting better at reducing our waste, but we are working on innovative ways to tackle existing waste. There are new water cleanups and conservation efforts underway, styrofoam-eating bacteria being studied, and worms turning food waste into fuel. Knowing that there are others who care and are working hard to help the planet can ease the burden of our waste.
When we let go of perfection in our journey to reduce waste, we are more easily able to stay motivated and on track with our small (or big!) changes to help the environment around us!