How to Get Your Partner Excited About Eco-Living As Much As You
Photo courtesy of @ethicalstylejournal.
From differing cleaning habits to a lack of boundaries, living with someone can easily bring up arguments. As more people transition to an eco-lifestyle, and have possibly been quarantining with a significant other, it may bring up even more disagreements in terms of how to live more sustainably.
Working at a zero waste shop has opened my eyes to customers’ frustrations of living with roommates who aren’t “into this stuff” *gestures towards all the eco-friendly products.* Here these customers were, trying to purchase reusable paper towels and compostable dish brushes, while their roommates completely ignored these products at home.
It made me think of what couples do when they don’t initially align on this really specific lifestyle, including in my own relationship! It’s not the most comfortable to confront anyone on their views on climate change, but when it comes to a SO, that discomfort goes out the window. At least that’s what happened to me.
As I made small changes in my own lifestyle (way before this pandemic), I would visit my boyfriend and constantly throw passive aggressive comments his way. From judging his decision to eat meat on the daily, to hounding him to invest in more eco-friendly products (which I had access to thanks to my job), I usually had a negative comment about his lifestyle.
He was so much more lax than I was about climate change, which motivated me to show him how cool switching certain products could be, while also making a great impact! That passion however, can easily turn into arrogance. So I started to share facts instead of my opinions. I also started to observe him and his daily habits even more. Here are a few helpful questions to ask yourself if you’re going through a similar experience with a partner: What do they like/dislike? What are their common annoyances? Is there a product that they use everyday?
Your Partner’s Likes & Dislikes
This probably requires some creativity, but it’s a fun way to test out what you know about your partner and how you can make eco-living fun for them too. My boyfriend loves coffee, so brewing some java has become a morning ritual of ours during quarantine. To extend this ritual, I introduced him to the idea of reusing our coffee grounds to make a hand scrub using olive oil (another favorite product of his). This combines our shared love of making coffee together while also making sustainability and everyday natural products more fun and interactive.
Homemade coffee scrub using leftover coffee grounds and olive oil.
Everyday Annoyances
Do they hate bulky tupperware? Would they rather not buy packs and packs of disposable razors? These are common annoyances that you can help them sort out. Get them a beeswax or vegan wrap to use for lunches (problem solved on bulky to-go containers), or show them stainless steel razors that can last them a lifetime. People just want their problems to be solved even if sustainable living isn’t on their radar. Bamboo utensils are an easy transition for anyone, especially if they take homemade lunches to work (tbt to when offices were open). With my partner, I made sure to ask ahead of time and he was actually excited to get the utensils. It’s the simple things!
Products on the Daily
There are products we use everyday, like toothbrushes and other oral products, that have eco-friendly alternatives. When these things expire or need to be thrown out, there’s your chance to help your partner transition. I recently asked my boyfriend if he would be interested in using tooth tablets or tooth powder instead of regular toothpaste, which led to him freaking out (in a good way) about how tooth tablets work. One step closer to making his morning routine more eco-friendly! You can get a lot more specific depending on your partner’s unique daily routine, which again comes down to first observing their daily habits and rituals.
Sustainability encompasses so many facets of day-to-day life, from what we wear and eat, to the media we consume, etc.; that it’s possible to make it accessible and fun for your significant other without forcing a certain lifestyle onto them. They may not have the same concern, knowledge, or interest in sustainability, which is okay. Sometimes all we need to do is lead by example and share our passion about the subject.
They may be into what you preach, or they may not, which should actually relieve some pressure off of you. The cool thing though, is that your partner’s interest in eco-living can still organically happen. My own relationship made me realize this to be true.
Now my boyfriend initiates some of the conversations such as asking me which specific materials can be recycled vs. hard-to-recycle items. Then he kicked it up a notch when he started to compost at home (luckily he has access to bins right outside). Next thing I know he started sharing composting facts. This process can be a learning experience for both parties. Who knows, your partner may also teach you a thing or two.