How To Help Your Family Become Eco-Friendly (When They Have Absolutely No Interest)

Living during the days when climate change is a real thing can be quite challenging. You know about the dangers such environmental changes can bring, but not everyone around you may have your level of understanding and drive. This can make taking eco-friendly actions a little more difficult. So, here is how to help your family become eco-friendly, even when they have absolutely no interest:

Start by Explaining Its Importance

First and foremost, you need to explain to your family why it is so important to think about climate change and do something to help the environment. Some people choose to ignore the issue, while others are directly opposed to it. If your family falls into the first category, then it will be easier for you to make them understand what you are talking about.

Give them some articles with statistics on how our climate is changing and how human activities are impacting this global warming. Show them this is the time to start acting rationally – no irrational panic, but no inactivity either. Predictions and expectations voiced by experts can also help in this.

Don’t Be Afraid to Compromise

In case your family members are directly opposed to the idea of there being a climate change, you will probably need to act a bit more radically, but then come to some kind of compromise. For example, they might call it “a pointless global panic” and claim that people are just hysterical about it when there is nothing to fear.

If this happens, draw a line between what is real and what is an over-exaggeration that makes no sense. Misinformation is one of the reasons why there are so many people who think climate change is a hoax. Your responsibility is to explain not everything people say is true. It’s crucial your family knows the difference.

Take Small Steps, One at A Time

Rather than diving in right away, try to make small steps, one at a time. You really don’t need to force your family to make a complete change immediately because they will probably give a little resistance to whatever you try to do. This is why you need to make the change gradual so it goes as smooth as possible.

A gradual transition will help your family to adjust to your new lifestyle quicker, even if it will take a while until you actually make the changes that matter. Perhaps the first step will be using less paper, but at some point, your entire family might stop using cars altogether and switch to public transport so as to significantly reduce your carbon footprint.

Give Examples of How They Can Improve

Last but not least, you need to know what an environmentally-friendly lifestyle means and how to start being eco-friendly. You will need to set an example for the rest of your family and let them know what they can do to help the environment – even if this is something small. Here are some examples of things you can do:

• Start Reducing, Recycling, Repurposing and Reusing: Reducing your consumption, recycling whenever possible, repurposing items for which you may no longer have a use and reusing all you can, is probably one of the easiest and most obvious way to stop harming the environment unknowingly. If you start recycling and reusing everything you can, you will be able to make an impact no matter how small it is. After all, when there are more people reducing, recycling, repurposing and reusing, these small changes will add up.
• Switch Clothes: Switching clothes and handing down your old clothes, toys, and other things to someone who will need them, even after you don’t anymore, will mean you can do two good things at once. First, the people using your clothes won’t have to buy new ones which means fewer clothes bought, fewer clothes produced, fewer materials used, and less waste in the end. Second, you will make others happy by donating the clothes. In addition, you’ll keep your “old clothes” out of the landfill. So, I guess it’s really three good things.
• Get Reusable Products: While recycling is nice, having things that can be reused or last longer is even better. For example, there are special lightbulbs designed to use less electricity and usually work longer than standard lightbulbs. There are coffee mugs and water bottles you an use over and over. No one- or single-use items. If you actively look for such things, you will definitely find products useful to you and good for the environment.
• Minimize Your Carbon Footprint: Air pollution is a real problem nowadays, so minimizing your carbon footprint needs to be one of your biggest priorities. You can do this by using your car only minimally and trying to avoid flying as much as possible. Walk or cycle instead of using the car or even just get on public transport. Besides, this will also give you some extra physical exercise.
• Start Composting: Composting is incredibly useful when you have a garden or keep at least some kind of house plants. Instead of buying fertilizers, you can use leftovers like vegetable and food peels to compost them and then use them to fertilize your plants. Alternatively, you can give the food peels to your pets, if you have pets that eat such things.

Living An Eco-Friendly Lifestyle Is Easier Than You Think

All in all, getting you and your family to lead an eco-friendly and environmentally-friendly lifestyle is much easier than you may think. Follow the tips in this article and you will be able to change the opinions of your family members, all for the better of the environment.

Author bio: Frank Hamilton has been working as an editor at review service, Online Writers Rating. He is a professional writing expert in such topics as blogging, digital marketing and self-education. He also loves traveling and speaks Spanish, French, German and English.