Environmental advocacy is an important channel in a community’s shift to become more sustainable. Seaside Sustainability’s Disposable Plastic Ban Guide, launching on Earth Day, is one way that a community can elicit environmental change through passing legislation. More broadly, however, environmental advocacy paves the way for real change, not only through policy but in thought. Starting with passion and a desire for education, advocating can help cultivate a more environmentally conscious and sustainable community. Through research, awareness of current legislation, involvement within local businesses, and community inclusion, environmental advocacy has the power to not only instill immediate change, but to set the stage for future environmental initiatives to be considered and implemented.
Disposable plastic bans can start cultivating this connection with your community. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) cites bans on disposable plastics as the first step in implementing more extensive policies, decreasing the rising accumulation of plastic waste and establishing sustainable alternatives. If you are unsure of how to begin advocating for sustainable and environmental awareness in your community, advocating for a plastic ban is a great place to begin and a catalyst for future environmental action in your community.
In advocating for a plastic ban, it is crucial to involve local businesses in your cause and advocacy. In doing so, you can become aware of their concerns and suggestions to improve your plan. This will help your proposal gain more traction and increase its chances of success as it reflects the views of a larger portion of the community. Establishing relationships and creating partnerships with local businesses will be beneficial to the success of future environmental initiatives as they have already shown an interest in sustainability. The involvement of local businesses is crucial in bringing the community together and tying sustainability in as an important issue to the community at large, and to not just one person. Including them in your proposal will also ignite a conversation around sustainability in their business, and urge them to consider other areas for environmental action. In this way, environmental advocacy merely begins a conversation that will echo across your community reaching a variety of different audiences and provoking thought about environmental responsibility and action.
In addition to involving local businesses, it is crucial to be involved within your community and be present at town meetings. This will help to not only show your passion and dedication to the proposal, but will also allow you to establish connections with town officials and other citizens. You could have the opportunity to inspire environmental advocacy, gain support for your proposal, better your proposal with input from different community members and reach a larger audience. With this approach you could have the ability to begin a conversation surrounding sustainability that can strike a chord in community members to join your cause and support future environmental legislation. You are also helping to establish a culture of environmental awareness that will hopefully transcend across issues and personal differences and develop community inclusion.
Environmental advocacy and legislation in your community is not only a way to bring about change, but also a way to create a culture that supports the environment and is passionate about finding and implementing solutions and alternatives. Be sure to check out our Disposable Plastic Ban Guide, a free resource we have created to help you become an environmental advocate in your community and aid you in passing a plastic ban.