I remember when recycling first became mandatory and thinking my 80 + year old grandma will be toughest to convince, then my parents, but my little sisters would be great they were young enough to roll with it (they probably don’t even remember a time when everything went into ONE bag!).
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| Source: Google Images |
To my surprise my grandma was completely on board - she said she never understood why ‘we younger folks’ threw everything away, as many items could have been reused for other purposes. Quick calculation to confirm ….. my grandmother survived the depression, a time when waste was foolish and not feasible. Have times really changed from that perspective?
My parents were the most difficult by far to encourage, doing it SOLELY because their daughter was an environmental professional and they were obligated (I was reminded of this fact often). Until I moved away that is! When I came home for a visit, -paradigm shift- I was being scolded for not placing items in the appropriate bin or not recycling something that clearly was recyclable! It was their system, created at the most grass root of levels. They worked together, learned form their mistakes (by enduring waste left behind on several occasions for improper separation), took control and involved the rest of the family.
My parents made it work for them on their terms and became stewards of the family waste! A ‘bottom up’ approach worked best, as it has in many successful sustainability initiatives, like in Samsø, Denmark. I was shocked but it gave me hope. If people this resistant can make it happen AND own it….. ahh, a pinpoint on my map of hope :)
Samsø is a 100% energy self sufficient Danish island that made it happen on their own, their way to win an energy competition in less than 10 years!
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| Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samsø |
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