Sustainability in a Rural Community

Ange Defosse | Jun 30, 2022

These days, it can be tough to figure out what you’re supposed to do. There’s a climate emergency, but there’s also a recession. We are likely living on the verge of finding a new way of living, and fast.

Things have to change, but how?

I started my journey by trying to buy the more expensive products that I found in the “special” sections of the grocery store, learning that most of them didn't work well in my own home and also cost me more money. At the end of the day, it was just more plastic waste and thrown away cash, and this can dishearten the best of us. This was also prior to the rising cost of everything else, and so it can appear that we have to abandon doing anything if we want to make ends meet these days.

Here are 8 of my favourite tips for helping someone get started having an impact without making a huge investment.

1. Think like your Grandma
Before the times of throw away products and plastic sponge mops, people reused what they had. Reuse cloths that are strained or worn out to replace throw away paper products.

2. Reuse what exists
Reusing something that is already in existence, plastic or not, is always more sustainable that buying something new.

3. Refuse the extra waste
Refusing is a pretty impactful way to reduce the excess packaging that comes with out current lifestyles. Companies make changes when we do!

4. Bring your own packaging
This saves you the packaging price on lots of products! Bulk barn offers 25% off on Sundays with your own containers!

6. Look around your community
Moving back towards a lifestyle where we know the person we purchase our goods from is a strong sustainable move. Get to know your local farmer, your local community shops and find alternatives to big box stores.

7. Divert waste destined for landfills
The average in ON for plastics that make it to recycling programs is 8-9% which means that recycling cannot be our final destination for waste. Check out programs like Earthtub, Pop Cycle and Terracycle that will accept tough to recycle items for free. Harlowe Green works with all of these organizations!

8. Set up a compost
Diverting food waste from your garbage bin can is simple and a fantastic way to create a big impact. Check out online how simple an in-home worm composter can be!

There are so many ways we can make a difference, and often it just requires getting a little creative and looking at our own habits and making the change one item at a time. Trying to do it all at once is almost always a recipe for failure, so committing to making one change at a time will get you so much further ahead after time passes, rather than burning out after a week or so.

Some changes require lifestyle habit changes [like a rag bin) and others just require making a different decision in the moment [buying a degradable toothbrush in degradable packaging at a local shop). Do the easy things first and see that your motivation to continue grow, and remember it does not need to be perfect - the more people trying, the better!

If you need any inspiration to make the mini and minor changes, check out our low waste living blog at harlowegreen.com, or follow along our social media on Instagram or Facebook to see more daily tips and tricks to living a more conscious, low waste life!