6 Green New Year's Resolutions

As a new year begins, it can be tempting to feel down about goals you didn’t achieve the year before. 2020 was tough for everyone, and the last thing that we need is to be hard on ourselves. So instead of feeling down, take a hard look and find the positives that came out of 2020 and plan how you can make the months ahead even brighter.

Many of us are heeding the warnings of scientists and activists by leading more ‘green’ lifestyles to save the planet. Though this is no easy task, and it can be tricky even to know where to begin. Do you start with your wardrobe? Or cleaning routine? What about travel? There’s so much to consider.

To help you out, I have composed a mixture of eco-friendly resolutions to choose from that will hopefully hold you accountable, and help you make this world a little greener.

A recent study concluded that the world cannot meet its most ambitious climate targets without the population eating less meat. Between the greenhouse gas emissions, land use, and water footprint, the animal agriculture industry is wreaking havoc on the environment. The only way we can reverse the damage is if the population reduce their meat consumption. If you’re already someone that reduces their meat intake (aka flexitarian or reducetarian), then you could consider taking the plunge and going vegetarian or even vegan!

There are many different rules for recycling, which can be confusing; certain areas can’t recycle certain materials, you cannot recycle contaminated materials, you cannot recycle items with combined materials, etc. I wish recycling were as easy as throwing things into the recycling bin, but it’s not. And due to a lack of information from the government about proper recycling practices, many of us are doing it incorrectly without knowing it. Fortunately, you can find all of the information you need online.

Clothes don’t always need to be washed at high temperatures, sometimes 30 degrees will suffice if they’re not visibly dirty. You’ll save on your energy bill, and your clothes will last longer, too! It’s a win-win. 

Eating out and ordering takeaways are luxuries that you can treat yourself to every once in a while. However, cooking from home has a multitude of benefits that go beyond simply being healthy. Homemade food often means less packaging and having more control over ingredients, e.g. you can opt for organic and in-season produce. Here are some easy vegan recipes to consider trying out:

People sometimes feel the need to purchase a haul of ethically made, sustainable clothes when deciding to live ‘greener’. However, the best thing you can do for the planet is to buy fewer clothes. Take care of the items that you already own, and when you do eventually purchase new ones, pay a little extra for higher quality. Cheap clothes created by the fast fashion industry put an awful strain on the planet, from water and air pollution to filling landfills with wasted materials.

Bleaches, air fresheners, sanitising wipes… The products that we innocently use to keep our homes clean can be toxic to our health and the environment. However, there are fortunately natural alternatives to the products we find on our supermarket shelves. For example, baking soda is wildly versatile and can scrub down kitchen surfaces, deodorise upholstery and more. There are also vegan and cruelty-free cleaning brands that make an effort to be kind to the planet, such as, Ecozone and Method.