Often times, when faced with the troubles of climate and environment, the individual consumer can feel too insignificant to make any bit of difference. But this video succinctly paints a picture of what aiming for more sustainable consumption can actually do over the course of your daily life. But more than just making a difference, this clip also highlights the incorrect position many businesses and governments take with regards to helping the community be more sustainable.

Every step counts

When you’re watching your health, do you ignore steps that you’ve recorded? Or say, “well, those steps don’t count…”? It’s clear in life (and in dieting) that every step counts. And, so long as those steps are taken in the right direction, no matter how small they are, each is vital.

Too often we overlook what we can do as individuals to affect the planet positively. Let’s look at something simple, like a morning coffee. Take your travel mug to Starbucks and that’s 365 coffee cups a year that you will have effectively removed from the waste stream. That number of cups is nothing to sneeze at. Compounded shifts like this one can create massive benefits to the amount of waste we typically produce.

Some steps are bigger than others

While every step counts, it’s equally true that some steps can create more progress than others. For instance, moving a company to be more sustainable exponentially changes your sustainability. What one person can do to change the direction of a corporation could create an industry-wide change.

Currently, businesses are not being held accountable for the waste they create—especially in areas where recycling is limited or non-existent. This means the costs for dealing with our waste is externalized for the planet to pay the price. But with the right motivations—or the right steps taken by individuals—businesses can be moved to act more sustainably. We vote with our dollars, our social media responses, and our behavior as employees. That’s three channels to get the attention of manufacturers and businesses; thereby exponentially expanding your influence. And it all happens with steps taken by individuals.

We know there are too many stories of doom-and-gloom about the environment lately. But we also know that individuals and businesses making good choices pierces that gloom like a ray of sun through dark clouds. You have the power to make a difference. All you have to do is take the next step!