Welcome to 3 Changes a Week: your weekly update on how to save the planet.
I’m sorry to say that this will be my final instalment to 3 Changes a Week. Whilst I will continue to be passionate about and write on the topics of waste and low-impact living, I have come to an end of all the multitude of changes you can make to reduce your waste.
It feels like the end of an era, but I hope these articles will continue to be a valuable resource for years to come. I hope that you continue to persevere with making changes, and I want to thank you all profusely to for coming on this journey with me. Your kind comments, and even more so your positive actions inspire me to keep writing and searching out alternatives to the plastic that’s killing us.
Every, single, tiny decision you make does make an impact, but to solve our global waste problem we need to do more. Much more. Every single person on the planet (or rather in the West, we all know we are the guilty party here…) needs to realise that the convenience of single use packaging is not something we can afford to indulge in. We all have to change.
Therefore, the most important change you can make is to help others change.
If every person who reads this article influences another person, and that person influences another person… I’m sure I don’t need to describe the huge exponential effect this would have. And it would be incredible. Luckily, social media and the internet gives us a fantastic platform to make a bigger difference than ever before, and don’t be afraid to use this.
It starts at reminding a friend to ditch a straw or bring a reusable cup, but we need to push those around us to make big changes too, like cutting out meat, or buying all their food from a zero-waste store. But every step in each person’s journey makes a difference, even though our end goals might be ideal.
Go on walks with friends to pick up litter, or take a trip to the beach for a beach clean. Enjoy exploring new stores together and finding ethical clothing options. Think of what would happen if everyone did one beach clean a year. We would pick up so much waste.
Most of all, please don’t give up. Please don’t forget that each action makes a difference, and please don’t lose hope for a future that allows nature to thrive once again. Sometimes seeing pictures of animals suffocated by plastic can make you feel as if there’s no longer any point in trying – as if the damage has already been done – but more than ever it is a sign that we need to do more, invent and invest in more solutions, and convince others to do the same.
So, thank you, from me, and from our planet. For doing your best.
Don’t forget to keep spreading the word. #3changesaweek, for now and forever.