♻️ SOME is Better Than None
♻️ WHEN IT COMES TO RECYCLING, SOME IS BETTER THAN NONE! ♻️
We know, it can feel like there are a lot of recycling "rules." And we get it, it SUPER frustrating that HOW and WHAT gets recycled differs from place to place - even between neighboring towns! It may make you want to throw up your hands all together when it comes to recycling...
BUT DON'T LET "PERFECT" GET IN THE WAY OF "GOOD"!! Even if you only recycle one thing, that's better than nothing every day of the week! If you KNOW your town takes cardboard and that's all you can handle, that's great! If you know there's a hazardous waste event coming up and you're planning on bringing in your old paint cans, well, we couldn't be happier! You don't have to recycle everything in order to make a difference. If most people recycled a little bit, that's better than just a few people recycling a ton.
To take it a step further, it's also important we CELEBRATE the recycling that is happening, instead of shaming community members for not doing more. Let's face it - we are all only human.
Eco-shaming - shaming other people for not recycling or doing other eco-friendly behaviors - has a seriously BAD impact. DON'T DO IT!
"By shaming someone for a habit, you’ve now become an unsafe space for them to come to you with questions. It discourages this person to approach you to discuss these life changes that they may feel confused about it. Shame inherently attacks the person, and not the behavior, which makes them hide away from it or not admit it."
- Alley L. Biniarz
Instead, strive to be an example, not a judge and educate through empathy (that's what we at NRRA aim to do!)
Read more about the backlash to eco-shaming: https://www.environment911.org/Is-Eco-Shaming-Helpful-or...
This material is based upon work supported under a grant by the Rural Utilities Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the Rural Utilities Service. Rural Community Assistance Partnership, Inc., is an equal opportunity provider and employer.