Take away all of their single use stuff.
That’s it. That’s the post. Thanks for reading!
Kidding! Of course!
This IS a serious question, though.
How DO you convince friends and family to switch to reusables? Not all people want to make this switch, and they all have their own reasons, which they may hang on to with varying degrees of tenacity.
And it might depend on the item. For example, a roommate or spouse may be fine with a change to reusable napkins but not with switching to a reusable cup or water bottle.
Though their opinions and choices need to be respected, it can’t hurt to ask them about their reasons. Perhaps they need more information or maybe there is an explanation that you don’t know about yet.
The conversation needs to go both ways so tell the person why it is important to you. Be patient and willing to compromise or to introduce reusables gradually. YOU might know that in many cases there is very little disruption to routine but THEY might need a bit of time or practical experience to find that out for themselves.
But what can you actually do? Here are three ideas:
Help to establish new routines
Maybe the person you are trying to convince is very comfortable with their existing routine and resists changes to that routine. If it is the case, consider offering to help them make the change by actually going through all of the new or different steps with them.
It might be as simple as helping them to remember to put the reusable napkins in the same place that they used to keep the paper napkins and to set up a spot to collect them once they need to be washed (in the same place as the to-be-washed kitchen towels is an easy one). If you are a person who lives with or cares for aging parents, for example, you could be the one to manage this.
Try out gradual changes
On the other hand, if you are a person who is already in charge of making decisions about whether single-use products are used in your household, you can simply make this change. Again, it doesn’t need to be an all-or-nothing situation. Choose to make one change at a time, or change all of the things to do with one specific task at one time (packed lunches, dishwashing, eating at home, laundry, etc.).
Do what works for you and consider building on the interests and strengths of the people you live with to help them to take ownership of these changes. Introduce folding cloth napkins as a responsibility for younger kids, for example, or put an older child in charge of laundering all of the fabric kitchen things, including reusable cloth napkins.
Lead by example
Show your colleagues, your kid’s classmates and teachers, random people in the park when you have a a picnic, ALL THE PEOPLE, that reusables are a good choice. Friendly conversations can go a long way to answering questions and helping those who might not have seen reusables in action to make a switch for themselves.
Tell them about how easy it is, the small business you bought your napkins from (*ahem* Something Different Upcycled *ahem*) or how you made them, whatever it is.
You definitely don’t need to bombard anyone with information and statistics, even if it is based in science and comes from a place of absolute love. Change often comes slowly and, like absolutely everything else in life, people do things at their own pace and in their own way. Patience, empathy, and clear communication can all help you to figure out how to convince friends and family to switch to reusables.
Have you been working on this too? Let me know in the comments your best tips for making the transition to reusables as smooth as possible for your people, or send me a message.