5 Ways to Mobilize Your Community to Become a Green City

Tuesday, February 21, 2017

Changing the way people think of sustainable environmental practices begins st home. When all homes in a community make a conscious effort to practice green habits, the overall effect is the better use of energy, water, and other resources, as well as reduced waste needing disposal into the landfills. Mobilizing communities to go green is not as easy as it sounds. Many people are removed from the impacts of damaging practices like climate change, pollution, and scarcity of resources. However, green activists can influence change with a few simple and sustained ways.

1. Form environmental clubs

Children are easy entry points for families. They can be used to influence green change in their families. Green clubs with children can be formed in which fun activities like community clean and recycle days can be organized to enlighten the children on the practicality of green habits.

2. Insisting on the 3R’s

The message to reduce, reuse and recycle should be consciously reiterated into every member of the community. Starting with the children environmental clubs, community members can show how the 3R’s work. Show the kids how to reduce the use of water and energy in the home. Demonstrate how common products can be reused and recycled for other uses at home. Also, demonstrate how to separate waste at home for easier recycling.

3. Social networks

Show green habits in action by showing what you are doing for the rest of the community on social media. Put up a Facebook page and Twitter handles where community members can make suggestions and exchange views on going green.

Social networks also make good sharing platforms for information on going green. There are tons of good information on the internet on sustainable environmental practices. Share this on social media so that community members can learn about green practices at their own pace.

4. Arrange competitions

Going green contests can spur the community’s interest in green practices. For example, you can organize a contest for the house with the most innovative use of 3R’s. This can be done for a period of 3 months culminating in an open day where everyone in the community gets involved.

5. Get political

Political support can give a voice to environmental work. If you can get the local council representative involved, it is an added voice that can help advance the cause. Local counsel representatives are able to spread the message through their grassroots networks. They can also attract support to your activities in the form of funding from authorities and organizations with similar causes.