Post-it Notes are key…for now

With time to adjust to cutting out plastic water bottles I’d say I have been pretty successful! Following McKenzie-Mohr’s belief that reducing barriers makes behavior change more achievable I refused to purchase a case of plastic bottles when my Mom came up for parent’s weekend. Without the case of plastic bottles laying under my bed I was left with no temptations to grab a plastic bottle instead of filling my Nalgene. I patted myself on the back for resisting the urge to buy plastic water bottles and I thought that the only barrier I had left to conquer were the drink options at Lower Farinon.

Little did I know my roommate bought a case of Poland Spring as I was at the store resisting that very action. Since my roommate and I are close friends I know that she would be completely okay with me grabbing a bottle here and there… unfortunately. In order to remind myself not to take one of her water bottles I put post-it notes inside of our refrigerator, on my empty Nalgenes and on the Poland Spring case. On each post it note I put different facts about water bottle waste and reminders saying “Don’t be lazy…use the Nalgenes!”. I made post-its specifically about being lazy and the issue of time because I know that I use plastic bottles the most when I’m under time constraints. So far this post it note method has been effective because I have targeted the specific reasons why I use disposable water bottles and had a visual aid to keep me on track with my sustainable behavior when my own brain won’t.

In regards to Lower Farinon I’ve realized that there isn’t much I can do other than come prepared to lunch with a reusable bottle already filled with water.  There are no post its that I carry around during the day to remind me to fill up before I go to lunch, I just have to get my brain used to remembering on itself. I think that in regards to the long run this part of my sustainable behavior change is important. I have the one aspect of my barrier breakdown that reminds me to not use plastic bottles and to fill up my Nalgene. Battling Lower will train my brain for the long run of cutting out disposable water bottles so that eventually I no longer need post-it notes to remind me, hopefully filling up reusable bottles will become part of my everyday routine-something that I don’t have to think about anymore.

I’m in this sustainable behavior change for the long haul. I’ve realized that there really is no need for plastic water bottles, it’s just a business move turned social behavior created by beverage companies. Except, this business move has created so much unnecessary waste that could outlive me. If I stick with this change I will be one less person adding to the waste put on Earth. I hope that continuing my sustainable behavior change past the end of the semester will influence others to do the same for the benefit of our environment.