2021 for sustainability: Why parents should inculcate children to use eco-friendly products

By Vic Rana, 

“We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children,” said the illustrious Ralph Waldo Emerson. What more imperative today than to preserve and conserve our planet, for the generations to come would hold us accountable for our actions. And the journey to reverse the effects of the environmental deterioration starts at the grassroots level; Our consumption, our waste management and our lifestyle. Now eco friendly and sustainability are no longer alien terms. It is the language we need to speak today if we want to secure our tomorrow. If 2020 has taught us anything, it is survival. No longer can we increase our share of man-made calamities to the already existing natural pandemics. If this sounds enough grim, let us focus our attention on doing right from the beginning. Let practice sustainability in our daily lives. It’s not difficult if we start small.

As parents, we need to look inwards. Our children, intrinsically innocent in nature and highly impressionable, absorb whatever they see like a sponge. Let’s teach them the right things and inculcate kindness towards the living world. Kindness can’t be practised in a vacuum. If explained right, children will naturally start caring for humans and extend the same emotions towards our flora fauna and all-natural ecosystems.

Another fun way of bringing this serious change is through our Consumption. A small change in our consumption pattern, choosing eco friendly, sustainable, cruelty-free products in daily lives can bring a domino effect in reducing the usage of potentially polluting raw materials across the manufacturing sectors. Industry alters its processes based on consumer demand. Asking for eco friendly can get you Eco friendly. The key lies in asking right, each time.

When children use eco-friendly products while studying and playing, they not only learn the value of preserving limited resources but also value them when they are using them. Growing up, they will have these core virtues of caring for one’s environment ingrained in them, which will naturally help them do the right thing always.

To bring about this fundamental change, the role played by parents in the lives of children is pivotal. We as parents should be convinced enough and understand at a deep level the need to care for the future. Only then will our children join us willingly in this endeavour. In simpler words, “change begins at home and change begins with you”

This Environmental damage caused by human activities cannot be overturned in one day, so let’s begin today.

Now with the fast-paced world of instant sense gratification, we have forgotten how to appreciate what we have at many levels. Apart from creating a massive amount of wastage, it also leads to welcoming rude shocks when things suddenly start becoming dearer. Let’s cherish our possessions and curb its wasteful consumption, reducing the impact on the nation’s economic cycles. Over producing does far worse than good.

Simple habits at home in reusing, refurbishing and recycling our products and material is a mindset-based action. Children would learn to be sustainable naturally without giving a conscious thought when taught early in life. A sustainable lifestyle contributes to a healthier planet in many ways.

The result – happy and contented people and an even happier planet.

(The author is Group Chairman, Red Ridge Global. Views expressed are personal and do not reflect the official position or policy of the Financial Express Online.)