Imperfection is better than inaction

Seemingly small lifestyle changes can have enormous impact on the environment. Imagine the impact of that small change replicated by 1.2 million Rotarians!

My grandparents are unintentionally environmentally sensible people. They scrape every bit of butter from the container; use every part of the meat they buy; compost, then use that compost to fertilise their garden. Without being consciously ‘environmentally friendly’, they are setting a good example of how we should treat our resources and our planet.

One of the scariest things I’ve overheard was when a teacher asked students, “Where does milk come from?” A child replied, “From the fridge section at the supermarket.” People aren’t trying to ruin the environment. It is simply a lack of knowledge and a shift in societal behaviours. My grandparents aren’t environmentally perfect. But their actions make a difference. We, too, can make a difference in a small way.

Too often we get hung up on the idea of perfection, which leads to overwhelm, stress, and inaction. It’s OK to try something and decide it’s not for you. Try again, try something else.

None of us are perfect at everything all the time.

As zero-waste chef Anne-Marie Bonneau once stated, “We don’t need a handful of people doing zero waste perfectly. We need millions of people doing it imperfectly.”

This year’s RI theme, Rotary Opens Opportunities, means working together to achieve more – with other Rotarians, communities, clubs, countries, organisations. Together, we make a difference. Pick one thing to do with sustainability in mind, and do that. That is enough.

“It’s just one plastic knife,” said 1.2 million Rotarians – that’s 1.2 million fewer plastic knives; over three tonnes of plastic saved from landfill!

Did you know that every piece of plastic ever created still exists? Imagine how much we’ve contributed to landfill already. We can’t change the past, but we can change from today forward.

It’s not about eliminating every piece of single use plastic from our lives. It’s not about doing it perfectly. It’s about making a small change, and that small change having a positive impact.

What small change can you make today?

Let us know, and let your friends know – include them in your journey and, together, our small changes can make a big difference.

Share what you’re doing today via ESRAG/RYLA (RYLAoceaniaESRAG@gmail.com).

By Jacqueline Madsen
RYLA Oceania 2020 participant