Happy New Year’s Eve! Today is a day of reflecting on the part year and thinking ahead to the future. Are you a New Year’s Resolution maker? Or, do you think making resolutions just sets you up for stress and disappointment? Whatever your New Year’s resolution style is, making goals to live greener and more eco-friendly benefits you and everyone around you. What’s even better? Choosing some Eco-Friendly New Year’s Resolutions is less stressful than other types of New Year Goals. Plus, being good to the environment just makes you feel good! So, what are we waiting for?
Here is a list of Eco-Friendly New Year’s Resolutions to make this your greenest, most feel-good year yet!
10 Easy Eco-Friendly New Year’s Resolutions
Use Reusable Shopping Bags:
Plastic bags are very difficult to recycle, as they tend to get caught in machinery. Plastic bags are extremely dangerous to our environment and contribute to the trillions of pounds of plastic found in our oceans. Check out some of our favorite reusable shopping bags here.
Recycle Daily:
This one is easy. Just make a point to recycle daily in the New Year! If you don’t already have household recycling, be sure to look into the local options you have available! Here are some easy items to recycle
Go For Non-Toxic Cleaners:
Most household cleaning products contain harmful chemicals. Actually, many cleaner are considered to be household hazardous waste (HHW). Kind of scary. This year make it a point to replace some of your more harsh cleaning products with greener ones!
Tote a Reusable Water Bottle:
Bottled water is seriously detrimental to the environment. Not only is plastic waste dangerous, but the amount fuel used to transport single-use plastic bottles is wasteful. Using a reusable water bottle is something you can do daily to reduce plastic waste.
Say No to Single Use Anything:
Single use items are a fairly new development. Our great-grandparents didn’t really use things once and then throw them away. So, why do we? Single use items like plastic water bottles, straws, take out containers, etc are thrown out more than they are recycled.
Eat at Home More Often:
This one is not only better for the environment, but its awesome for your wallet and overall wellness as well. Think about all the waste you produce when you eat out. The plastic cups, styrofoam containers, plastic straws etc. How much of that do you recycle?
Conserve Energy:
Turn off the lights when your not in the room. Use the AC less when you can, and open windows. Layer up, and turn down the heat. Conserving energy is great for the environment and your budget!
Buy Local:
Buying your food and other items local saves big on fuel waste, packaging waste, production waste! You name it. All components of mass production and packaging require lots of energy. Plus, big corporations don’t do a happy dance when they make a sale.
Waste Less Food and Compost:
An estimated that 1/3 of all food produced in the world is wasted. What happens to food when it goes to rot in the landfill? It doesn’t just decompose, but it produces methane gas (a greenhouse gas). According to this article by the WWF, about “11% of all the greenhouse gas emissions that come from the food system could be reduced if we stop wasting food.”
Learn More about the Environment:
Make it a goal to read one environmental book or watch one documentary every month. Learning more will motivate you to reach all your Eco-Friendly New Year’s Resolutions!
Feel free to comment below with your own eco-friendly New Year’s Resolutions! And finally, Happy New Year from your friends at Fire Dawgs!