Why Sustainability Isn’t About Perfection
I was chatting recently about some small choices I’d made — like ordering recycled sellotape and manila folders. The reaction I got?
“That’s nice, but when are you going to buy an electric car? When will you stop flying altogether?” And I should add, this was said in a hugely sarcastic tone.
It made me think about how easy it is for sustainability to turn into a competition. As if you have to tick every box, all the time, or else you’re not really “doing it.” It also made me think this person was totally missing my point - I’m not perfect, I don’t want to be, and I don’t purport to be. I still want to live my life, travel, see family, and do the things that bring me joy - all I’m saying is that I wish everyone did their part because even if we all did just one thing to contribute, it would collectively add up to a huge impact - for the better. I wonder how many people just think that one thing isn’t enough to bother, or find the fact that I do more than one thing confronting. Maybe people think they aren’t capable, or it’s not as easy for others - all valid feelings, but maybe we can reframe them.
Start Where You Are
Sustainability doesn’t need to be all or nothing. For me, it’s about:
Choosing compostable products - for example, the packaging for My Pet Life
Switching to recycled office supplies - such as those found at BuyEcoGreen
Reducing plastic where I can, as much as I can - even if it appears to be compostable - bananas do not need to be in a bag…
Buying better quality, not more
Reusing as much as I can e.g. I reuse my compostable sandwich bags as many times as I can, reuse packaging from deliveries for other things
Those are the areas I can influence consistently in my own four walls - but try and avoid buying single use plastic, yoghurt or custard pouches when you have a child and are trying to survive a trip to the supermarket...Yep, I might hate them, but I still buy them. Am I proud about it? Of course not, but I do a lot to mitigate these types of battles that I lose.
For someone else, change might be installing solar panels, choosing public transport, or committing to second-hand shopping. We all have different starting points - and we all have different things we are willing to make exceptions for.
Do What You Can
The danger in expecting perfection is that people give up entirely. If it feels like you have to do everything — buy the e-car, stop flying, grow all your own food — then it’s overwhelming. And frankly, why would you want to give all of that up? For the vast majority of the globe, when people travel, they at least are not doing it in a private jet with more staff than passengers and spending more time in the air than on the ground whilst preaching to the masses about greenhouse gases. Not that I can think of anyone who does that…….
So if you choose one thing, one small shift in a product you buy often, or change a habit and stick with it, the impact multiplies over time. They say it only takes 3 weeks for a new habit to form and stick.
Offsetting, Not Opting Out
I’m not giving up on experiences or travel. Instead, I look at ways to offset, reduce, and balance them out. I firmly believe in balance and everything in moderation in every aspect of life - life is meant for living and not doing that in a state of guilt, but more with intention.
The Collective Impact of Small Choices
If each of us picked just one area and made one sustainable swap, the combined effect would be enormous, and that’s the message I want to share: you don’t have to do it all. You just have to do something.
Sustainability isn’t about perfection. It’s about persistence.
Here are some easy ways to adopt different practices into your everyday:
Get compostable sandwich bags for lunches or freezing food (and note you can get compostable baking paper and plastic these days as well, not to mention recycled and recyclable foil)
Buy bread in paper bags, then split it up — some in compostable bags for sandwiches, some in the freezer.
Learn what can actually go in the green bin — e.g. tissues, newspaper, paper towel.
Choose recyclable milk cartons instead of plastic bottles.
Find a reusable coffee cup you love (or two) and keep them handy so it becomes second nature.
Buy refills instead of brand new bottles for things like soap, cleaning products, or pantry staples.
Use string produce bags instead of grabbing new plastic/“compostable” ones at the supermarket (they may not be compostable at all).
If you don’t like having shopping bags everywhere, get ones that fold up small so you can always keep one tucked away in your handbag or glovebox.
Switch out some chemical-based cleaners for natural DIY versions — e.g. eucalyptus or lavender oil with water in a spray bottle works just as well.
Swap plastic toothbrushes for bamboo.
Choose powder or sheet laundry detergent and dishwashing powders in cardboard packaging instead of liquid in plastic.
Wash clothes at cooler temperatures and air dry when possible.
Swap synthetic sponges for compostable cloths or loofah sponges.
Store food in glass jars, beeswax wraps, or silicone covers instead of cling film.
For pets, choose biodegradable poop bags and compost waste if your council allows.
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