A few days ago, as I usually do, I was carrying out a fairly ordinary household routine: preparing recyclable materials for collection. I washed plastic, aluminum, and glass containers, left them to dry, and the following morning placed them in front of my home for pickup by the municipal recycling team.
It was a beautiful morning in San Rafael de Heredia, one of those mornings when the fresh air and mountain views remind you why we value our surroundings so much.
As I arranged the boxes and looked toward Barva Volcano in the distance, my neighbor across the street greeted me and, half-jokingly, made an unexpected remark:
“With all those missiles and rockets flying around on the other side of the world, why do you waste your time doing that?”
The question reflects a feeling that is becoming increasingly common: what is the point of making these small efforts when the global situation seems to be moving in the opposite direction?
We live in times marked by conflict, geopolitical tensions, and decisions that often seem far removed from environmental priorities. In that context, recycling a few bottles or making small changes to our habits may appear insignificant, even meaningless, in the grand scheme of the planet’s challenges. But it is not.
The goal was never for a single person separating waste on an ordinary Tuesday to change the world. Rather, it is about understanding that sustainability is also built from the ground up: from our homes, our communities, and our everyday choices.
It is also about the values we choose to live by. In the end, acting more sustainably in our daily lives is another way of thinking about others. About the people with whom we share our neighborhoods, our cities, and our public spaces. It is also a way of thinking about the generations that will come after us.
Our individual decisions, no matter how small they may seem, do not occur in isolation. Every action contributes, for better or worse, to shaping the environment in which we live. That is why, in my view, indifference toward environmental issues is a form of selfishness, because it places immediate convenience above collective well-being and the responsibility we have toward one another.
Local impact does matter. It matters when a community manages its waste more effectively and protects its resources. It matters when we safeguard nearby natural areas and reduce pressure on public services. It matters when we help create a culture in which caring for our immediate environment is no longer exceptional, but becomes a normal part of everyday life.
In countries such as Costa Rica, where quality of life is deeply connected to the natural environment, assuming that our actions are irrelevant can be especially dangerous.
If we accept that local action is not worthwhile because others pollute more, because there are wars, or because the international landscape is full of contradictions, then we will have lost the opportunity to contribute, however modestly, to improving the place closest to us.