As a parent, you’re often faced with a whirlwind of birthday gifts, one-time-use lunch portions, and clothes that come and go from the house as our kids grow at a sometimes completely crazy pace.
As the head of the household, it’s often tempting to take the easy way out: yogurt in plastic containers, juice in cartons, individual cheese portions, driving instead of taking the bus or walking…
Every day we see videos showing an incredibly cute bird or turtle trapped in a piece of plastic, shots of beaches littered with trash or polluted water, or those famous montages highlighting alarming statistics. Yet we don’t really change our behavior.
Then there are the really passionate ones who want everyone to go zero waste overnight, and the really jaded ones who think there’s nothing left to do… There are the conspiracy theorists who say it’s all a setup by the government, and the “know-it-alls” who proclaim loud and clear that it’s a cycle of nature and that their Suburban V8 It won't make any difference… There are those who say it's up to industries to make the effort and that they, with their little lives, won't change the planet's fate.
But to be honest, when you go shopping at the Wal-Mart Instead of buying local—we know that’s not ideal—we get depressed seeing that gang of pigs walk by, looking at all the trash lying around in the parking lot and nearby.
Yes, it takes a little extra effort in the morning when you’re packing lunches to transfer the yogurt you bought in bulk into small containers, and yes, you’ll have to wash them… But it’s a small effort that’s likely to pay off in the long run… Because your kids follow your example.
We're not asking you to take the bus with your four kids and your double stroller just to go do your run at daycare before work on a Monday morning—when just getting up to go to work is already a nightmare. No… just those laid-back evenings when you go out to dinner with the girls (I know, it won’t happen often) or when you go to a show where parking will be scarce anyway, really expensive, and where driving away in your car will prove you’ve got the soul of a kamikaze pilot…
We’re not going to ask you to stop spoiling your kids either… Sure, they deserve the best, but the best doesn’t necessarily mean eight similar toys that will just be gathering dust on a shelf starting next week. It could also be an activity (we talk so much about “quality time”) or a class…
A few reminders:
- Before 1989, absolutely nothing was recycled in Quebec except for reusable glass bottles.
- Before 2011, people didn't use reusable bags.
- A few years ago, people didn't worry about buying local, buying products with less packaging, or buying energy-efficient products.
- During colder winters, we'd put more logs in the wood stove without realizing that it was causing smog.
- In 1986, fans of the "sun-shaped quiff" must have punctured a hole in the ozone layer just with their clean spray .
In 2019, I started buying my shampoo bar from a local shop. At home, we’re eating less meat. I replaced my windows to make my home more energy-efficient. I use reusable bags. I recycle. I rarely buy pre-sliced cheese—instead, I pull out my knife and cut good old-fashioned slices from a block of cheese! My kids have grumbled a few times, but in the end, when I explain it to them, they understand…
Kudos to those who take the bus and rent an electric car for their trips. I love my car way too much… Kudos to those who make everything from scratch and no longer use any plastic for packaging—I haven’t managed to do that yet. Kudos to the moms who washed their diapers, You rock!! Kudos to those who choose to consume less—I’m one of them! Kudos to vegans—I wouldn’t have your willpower! Kudos for each and every one of your small and big actions.
Until I can change everything, I’m going to keep showing my kids that this is important, because in the end, they’ll just do better than we did—and that’s what I call the future.
P.S.: Don't throw your trash on the ground when you leave the store or the fast food The answer is NO. And definitely not while driving on the highway!
Watering your snow or your yard. NOOO!
From clean spray Wearing a sun hat? No way—unless you're at an '80s party; otherwise, there's no excuse!!!
Bye for now!