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People are always looking for positive changes to make when the new year comes around. Why not make some small changes in your daily life to have a positive impact and benefit the world we live in?
I love having New Year’s resolutions to give me goals and inspirations to work towards during the year. I have put together a list of sustainable New Year’s resolutions that are easy to obtain and will keep you motivated all year long!
What does it mean to be sustainable?
According to Investopedia, “sustainability refers to the ability to maintain or support a process continuously over time. In business and policy contexts, sustainability seeks to prevent the depletion of natural or physical resources, so that they will remain available for the long term”.
To me, sustainability means being conservative with the natural resources around me and meeting my own needs so that future generations can thrive and meet their needs as well. Being sustainable is about being conscious about the resources you’re using.
What is Carbon Footprint?
Carbon footprint is the amount of greenhouse gases that are released into the environment by activities from various components. Greenhouse gas emissions can come from individuals, businesses, transportation, clothing, food, the production of goods, and more.
Carbon footprint is measured by the total amount of greenhouse gas emissions or carbon emissions from the total life cycle of a product, good, or activity.
Carbon footprint is contributing to climate change and has a huge impact on the environment.
For a more comprehensive guide on carbon footprint, what it is, and how It can be used to help with climate change check out this article.
What Does it Mean for Something to Have an Environmental Impact?
An environmental impact is the impact human interactions have on the environment. Human activity can affect the environment in many different ways.
Air pollution, water pollution, light pollution, noise pollution, waste creation, and soil pollution are a few of the ways humans create an environmental impact.
To learn more about environmental impact and how it is measured, check out this website.
Related Post: How to Practice Sustainability During the Holiday Season
11 New year’s resolutions for a more sustainable lifestyle
1. use Fewer plastic straws
Plastic straws are everywhere! It can be hard to avoid them and other single-use plastics because of their convenience, but we should try to use less of them any time we can.
Plastic straws are not biodegradable. Plastic straws are hard to recycle because they are so small. Plastic straws also pollute our oceans and waterways.
This is something that I have been working on for the last few months. I would love to make it a habit in the new year. It can be a challenge not to use plastic straws if it’s something you’ve always done without thinking twice.
You have to be patient with yourself! Every small step is one step towards the goal.
My favorite reusable straws are silicone, but there are many other options, like stainless steel, paper, or glass.
There are even on-the-go-style reusable straws to use at restaurants or other people’s houses.
If I forget to bring my reusable straw to a restaurant, I will drink straight from the glass.
2. Be more conscious of food waste
Food waste is something that my husband and I have struggled with in the past. It can be hard to cook for just two people and eating out every day is not an option for us.
Being more conscious of food waste is one of my New Year’s resolutions because I want to focus on not creating as much food waste. One of my favorite purchases has been a composter. I love it! It makes me feel like I am being less wasteful with the food I throw out.
We also purchase a countertop compost bin. It has made the process much easier because we don’t have to take out the compost every day.
It helps cut down on the smell, and we use biodegradable bags so we can throw it right inside the bin!
I want to try and make smaller meals that are better for two people. When we do have leftovers, I want to plan to take them for lunch at work or eat them at home. Lastly, if I still have to throw out food, or other items, I plan to always compost them (as long as it’s compostable).
Some of my favorite simple meals are:
3. Create less waste
Creating less waste is a very broad resolution because waste is created from all different parts of our life. In the coming year, I am striving for zero waste in my life. I am striving to create less food waste, packaging waste, and single-use plastic waste, and to create less non-recyclable waste.
Being mindful of the waste you are creating can make a huge difference!
What type of waste would you like to focus on, or would you like to focus on creating less waste as a whole?
4. shop sustainable fashion
The fashion industry creates tons of waste every year. New clothing is produced even when there are a lot of options to buy second-hand. Synthetic materials are used even when there are plenty of options for natural, eco-friendly materials. There are several great ways to make shopping sustainable!
Shopping for sustainable fashion is one of my favorite things to do.
What does it mean to shop for sustainable fashion? Shopping for sustainable fashion means shopping for clothing items that are manufactured and constructed in an eco-friendly manner. It also means you consider the full life span of the clothing items.
Shopping for sustainable fashion can mean several different things. It can mean you pay attention to the materials clothing items are made out of that you buy. It can also mean buying used clothing instead of new items because used clothing still has a long life ahead of it, and there’s no need to buy new and create more waste.
Shopping at places like consignment stores, Poshmark, and even from people on Facebook or other selling and social media platforms is one of my favorite ways to buy clothing.
You can find the cutest clothes at affordable prices that are barely worn. Shopping for sustainable fashion beats buying new at a retail store any day for me.
5. Learn to grow your own food
Learning to grow your own food will help you in so many ways.
It’s the perfect resolution for a more sustainable lifestyle. By growing your own food, you know where the food comes from, and you can keep from using harmful pesticides and fertilizers. By doing this, you can keep harmful chemicals out of your food, out of the air, and out of the soil!
Also, by growing your food, you do not have to rely on those around you for produce, and it may even save you some money!
I am excited to use our compost this year for our garden.
You can also learn a lot from growing your own food. I have learned how to can pickles, tomatoes, salsa, and more! My husband and I love to dry out herbs and peppers to use in various recipes and to make our own spices. We have so much fun trying new things with the food we grow.
6. Practice Upcycling
Creating waste is something we cannot avoid. One way of helping with the waste we do create is to think of ways to upcycle it.
One thing I love to do is upcycle glass bottles. I will use old bottles for decoration, plants, or even for homemade vinegar, cleaning recipes, and more!
I want to go into the new year with the mindset of upcycling things instead of throwing them away.
Some ideas for upcycling are using old cups or bowls to plant flowers in, reusing plastic bags instead of throwing them away, or using old clothes or towels for cleaning rags.
What are some things you could upcycle in the new year?
7. Create less paper waste
How much paper do you think you actually throw away? I know that I throw a lot of paper away. Bills, things I print offline, and random things that get sent home with me make up the majority of my paper waste.
Recently, I have been signing up for paperless options for bills and other things (like insurance paperwork).
Signing up for paperless options for your bills is amazing! It’s a great first step towards creating less paper waste. It will save tons of paper waste for you and the environment.
Some other ideas for creating less paper waste include using your phone planner, calendar, and notepad instead of paper ones. Filing paperwork and other things on your computer instead of printing them off and filing them “old school” in a filing cabinet will also help to cut down on paper waste.
8. Use less plastic bags
Plastic bags are not biodegradable. Plastic bags are horrible for the environment. They pollute our oceans and waterways, and plastic bags harm our wildlife and sea life.
Completely cutting out plastic bags can be a difficult thing to do. One of my resolutions for the new year is to simply cut down on using plastic bags.
I want to be more conscious of taking reusable bags with me when I go to the store and taking my own bag when I go to the farmer’s market or festivals.
Reusable bags, canvas totes, or mesh shopping bags are all wonderful options for replacing plastic bags! You can keep some at home and in your car so that you always have one when you need it.
What are your favorite bags for replacing plastic ones?
Related Post: Simple Gift-Guide for Eco-Friendly and Sustainable Gifts
9. Cut Out Plastic Bottles
Plastic bottles are something we have tried very hard to cut out. We recently started using reusable glass bottles in place of plastic ones!
We saved many glass drinking bottles and turned them into reusable drinking bottles. We fill them up with purified water and store them in the refrigerator.
They are ready to grab and go any time we need bottled water. It’s the best way we have found to cut out plastic water bottles.
You can see the process we went through here!
I also love to use a reusable water bottle and take one with me when I travel or leave the house.
10. Eat More Plant-Based Foods
The food that we eat can have an impact on the environment. Eating less meat can reduce our carbon footprint. Plant-based foods tend to have a much smaller carbon footprint than meat or dairy products.
Having a plant-based diet means that you will be leaving behind a smaller carbon footprint and therefore protecting the environment more.
Adding more plant-based foods to your diet is a great New Year’s resolution! It’s healthier for you and better for the planet. It’s a win-win.
Related Post: The Best Eco-Friendly Alternatives to Cotton Balls
11. Use Less Energy
Using less energy in your home is a great way to be more sustainable this upcoming year.
Make sure to turn off lights that you aren’t using, air dry your laundry, and unplug household items that aren’t used regularly.
Not only will this save money on your energy bills, but it will also cut down on the amount of energy you are using!
Looking into solar panels is also a great idea if this is something you can afford and would be interested in. Solar panels are a great way to produce energy naturally without wasting natural resources.
I hope you enjoyed learning more about sustainable resolutions you can set for yourself this upcoming year.
Do you have other ideas for New Year’s resolutions for a more sustainable lifestyle? I would love to hear about them!
I hope the new year treats you well. I am sending warm wishes, happiness, and great vibes your way.
Until next time,
Catherine
I’ve made great progress on the use of plastic bags!! Going to keep that going into the new year and hope I’ll remember to bring my reusable bags to the grocery store more often lol
That’s wonderful! That is my only problem as well… remembering to bring my reusable bags! I’ve put several in my car so hopefully I won’t keep forgetting!
That’s awesome to have these as resolutions and I will actually put it on the list. Love to have less waste paper and plastic.
Thank you! 🙂
Nice tips for New Year’s resolutions.
Thank you!
A sustainable lifestyle is so important and I hope 2023 many will embark on a sustainability journey.
I hope so as well!
These resolutions are really great. I am trying to work on the first thing the most.
Using fewer plastic straws can be hard! I try to take my reusable ones with me but sometimes I do forget. I’m trying to do better this year!
I love your list of 8 new years resolutions for a more sustainable lifestyle. This is super important to me, and I know I can improve. I need to focus on using fewer plastic bags this year.
I know there’s things I can improve on too! It’s the small steps 🙂
Thanks for the tips! Less plastic, in general, this year. But also, less driving car that runs on fossil fuels. We plan to start our own garden also this year, so, wish us luck!
Yay! Good luck! You will love your garden 🙂
Great ideas! I love getting a good bargain from a charity shop (thrift store). I always look there first when I need clothes for me or my kids. I also pass on the clothes the kids have outgrown to friends with younger kids. It’s a win win for everyone as it saves money, and is better for the environment. I’m forever getting compliments on dresses I’ve bought second hand. I got a beautiful dress that I wore as a guest to a wedding. It was actually brand new with tags on but because it was in a second hand store I got it for £5. 😊
That’s wonderful! I love buying second hand as well. I get the cutest clothes and I love to tell people I got them second hand when they complement me, lol. I would love to see the dress!
These are great ideas to live sustainably. Time to set some goals!
Thank you! I hope you reach your goals.