Climate action can sometimes feel too big for one person to make a difference. For Carolyn Gibbons, meaningful change begins with the choices we make every day—and the example we set for others.

Carolyn’s journey toward a lower-waste lifestyle began about 12 years ago, when starting a family prompted her to think more deeply about the world her children would inherit. As she learned more about environmental issues and climate change, she began looking for practical ways to take action in her own home.

One of those actions became refilling.

Carolyn reuses jars, jugs and containers for household products, food and cleaning supplies. Her laundry detergent jug, for example, has been used for eight or nine years, saving her about $3 each time she refills it. She shops at local refill and bulk stores, bringing her own containers instead of purchasing new ones.

While the practice requires some planning, Carolyn says taking action has helped replace the anxiety of feeling overwhelmed by climate change with a sense of purpose. Her philosophy is simple: “Progress over perfection.”

That mindset has also helped her turn a personal habit into community action. Her mother and three of her four sisters now refill products, while about half of the households on her street have made some kind of sustainability change after seeing her example.

Carolyn believes this kind of grassroots influence can scale. If residents each made a few small changes, the collective impact could keep significant amounts of packaging out of landfills.

For her, climate action is about more than reducing waste. It is about changing culture. Her children, now eight and eleven, have grown up seeing refilling as a normal part of everyday life.

“Lead by example,” Carolyn says. By making sustainable choices visible and accessible, one household can inspire another—and gradually help build a community where climate action becomes part of the way people live.