If you’ve done everything recommended in this guidebook, congratulations! You have made some significant changes and you’ve probably already noticed financial savings and you may be feeling healthier too. You may also be asking what else can I do?

Lots!

The path to sustainability is a long one. To help get you there, keep these things in mind as you make your co-op and household decisions:

Remember that you are part of a system

Everything you do will impact somewhere else in the household system. Try to imagine how your decision will affect other parts of the system, and take action understanding that your sphere of consequence will inevitably be larger than your action.

Think about your vision

Consider creating a vision for your co-op and your household. Ask the co-op membership, “If our households and co-op were totally sustainable, what would that look like?” Ideally, you won’t contribute to the four root causes of un-sustainability (see page 9). And you might want to develop your vision as part of getting 2020 Vision Certification for your co-op. Find out more about the 2020 Vision program and how it can help your co-op prepare for the future.

Identify actions to move you toward your ideal

These actions can be anything that take you toward your ideal of a sustainable household, in any or all of the four areas of shopping, mobility, utilities and waste. To figure out which actions to take first, consider if they are:

• Moving you in the right direction
• Able to be developed further
• A good return on investment.
  
  

Don’t forget – you make all the difference

Households are the base-unit of society. The decisions you make in your home and your co-op will affect the future of the community and the country.

You are not alone

There are many thousands of people and households realizing the excitement, frustration, financial savings and better health associated with moving their household toward sustainability. Consider volunteering in your co-op and your community to help build relationships and create groups to support each other in the transition toward sustainability.

Celebrate your successes

Every change that you make with an eye to becoming more sustainable is reason to celebrate! Give yourself a pat on the back for your foresight in ‘avoiding the walls of the funnel.’ (See page 3 for a description of the funnel)

Continue to have co-op members ask each other, “what next?”

When you ask this question it will help you be clear about how the results of your decisions can be stepping stones for other steps down the sustainability path.