One of the most common barriers that people face when trying to ‘live greener’ is this fear that it requires them to totally change their life, sell all their belongings, and go and live off the land somewhere in the forest. That is most definitely not the case!
We think that if a lot more people knew how to practise green behaviour, we’d all realise that it actually requires less of us than we originally thought. That’s the purpose of today’s blog, to show you what green behaviour is and what it actually looks like in day-to-day life.
What is green behaviour?
Green behaviour is any deliberate action that reduces harm to the environment or supports its recovery. It applies to individuals, households, workplaces, and communities, and while we obviously support big picture sustainability policy, think of green behaviour as the more granular, day-to-day version of it. There are lots of other terms that mean green behaviour too, such as ‘green living habits’ or ‘making eco-friendly choices’. At the end of the day, we’re all talking about the same thing.
Why does green behaviour matter in Australia?
Green behaviour matters everywhere, but in Australia, it’s especially important. This country has a uniquely biodiverse climate, and so many of our natural gifts hang out around the coastline – which also happens to be where most of us Aussies live, and where most of our waste is created.
Our lovely sunny shores see around 76 million tonnes of waste generated every year. In a country of around 27 million people, that is a helluva lotta waste. With the impacts of climate change gradually worsening, and a distinct lack of action from our politicians, it’s up to us individuals to rethink our collective impact. These behaviours might seem small in their own right, but at scale, they make a real difference.
What does green behaviour look like day-to-day?
Green behaviour can take on many different forms in our day-to-day life, and not all of them happen at home! Let’s take a look at what green behaviour looks like throughout your day.
At home
Home is where the heart is; it’s also where most of the waste is created. The first thing to get right is to make sure that all that home waste is sorted properly. The easiest way to do that is with a distinctly colour-coded bin system.
Other useful home renditions of green behaviour include setting up a composting system for your food waste, cutting out single use plastics, and reducing your energy and water consumption by choosing more efficient appliances.
When you shop
A lot of the waste that ends up being thrown out at home can be negated by making greener choices at the shops. Simply prioritising durable and reusable items, and reducing your consumption of single-use items is a great start. Shopping for locally-sourced produce is great too, as less fuel and fewer emissions are involved in getting them to your door.
On the move
How you get around has a big impact on your environmental footprint. We know this is nothing you haven’t heard before, but it’s true! There are so many alternative ways to get around that don’t require your car. Walk or ride for short trips, catch public transport for longer ones, and carpool for the journeys that necessitate a car.
At work or school
One of the best things you can do for the environment while at work or school is simply to be an advocate for greener choices. In these situations, change can be hard to see, as people are naturally resistant. But by encouraging your peers to set up recycling stations, go paperless where possible and implement energy conservation habits, you can make an impact far greater than if you alone made those choices.
The four Rs of green behaviour
The four Rs make up this nifty little framework that’s designed to make it easy to input these eco-friendly tips. They go like this:
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Refuse products that aren’t good for the environment or not manufactured to reduce their impact.
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Reduce your waste by reducing consumption of unessential items and choosing hardier products that last longer.
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Reuse things as much as you can. There are a myriad of items we throw out every day that could be useful in other ways. Get creative!
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Recycle your waste in the most appropriate way. Always ensure that each item you throw out goes into the correct waste stream.
Start small, build the habit
When it comes to green behaviour, no one is demanding perfection. As lovely as that would be, it simply is discouraging after a while. What really makes the difference is simply putting in consistent effort. And over time, that effort will grow into a measurable impact. Find one small eco-friendly habit you’d like to put in place and start there. Once it’s a habit, find another, then see where it takes you. For anyone wanting to put green behaviours in place right now, grab yourself one of our colour-coded waste bins today!
