7 Eco Resolutions You Might Actually Keep
Posted on December 31, 2015
Many of us do it every year - make an ambitious New Years' resolution that we struggle to keep and often give up early on. But what if we gave you some easy resolutions that could have big impact with minimal effort? We've got 7 for you to choose from...bonus points if you take on more than 1 this year!
1. Never Buy Bottled Water Again - Not only could you save as much as $1400/year by using your own home filter or just drinking tap, you could help make a dent in the 1.5 million barrels of oil needed to produce those plastic water bottles we use every year.
2. Become a Weekday or Weekend Vegetarian - Meat production accounts for human caused carbon emissions (18% according to the UN). While it may be a struggle to go full on vegetarian or vegan consider just 1-2 days/week instead. We run our #MeatlessMonday campaign with great recipes on our social media & there are plenty of sites that offer great simple & easy meal options, too. Just 1-2 days a week. That's all we ask.
3. Print only Double Sided - If you have to print, print double sided and you can save up to 50% of your paper consumption. Every 1 ton of paper saved = 24 trees. Bonus points if you take on tips for eliminating the junk mail from your life. And you'll have much less need to empty out your recycling bin!
4. Always shop with Re-usable Bags - Just. Stop. Using. Plastic. Shopping. Bags. Plastic bags can take over 1000 years to break down. Use re-usable bags and keep them stashed in your car or on your bike for those impromptu grocery trips or errands. You alone could ensure that up to 1500 plastic bags aren't used this year. And here are 7 tips to keep your reusables clean.
5. Cut Out the Paper Towels - Instead, use reusable cloths you can throw in the wash, or cut up old threadbare towels to use to wipe up spills and clean windows. You'll be saving over $1000/year and being kinder to the planet. Consider this: just to make one ton of paper towels = 17 trees are cut and 20,000 gallons of water are polluted.
6. Green Your Cleaning - Remember our tips to green the way you clean your home? Just by switching from conventional cleaners to eco-alternatives can dramatically improve your indoor air and eliminate toxins from going down our drains and into our waterways. Want to save money? Make your own with a few economical ingredients - check out our handy homemade recipe book for recipes that work & ingredient listings. Just $5 at our EcoStore.
7. Drive Less - We know it may not be feasible to bike or transit to work depending on where you live. But did you know that on average a car produces 170g of CO2/kilometre? This year, make a commitment to take your bike or walk for all your short trips. Consider taking the train into downtown and pooling your errands rather than doing just 1 and returning home. And think about carpooling for family events and get togethers. Park the car every other weekend if you can. It may not be as hard as you think...
While not an exhaustive list, we hope it will inspire you to take on a challenge to change something that will reduce your carbon footprint over the coming year. Whatever choices you already are making to be kinder to the environment - we applaud you. But please don't stop there. Every act has an impact - let's work together to make those impacts positive for our health and that of our planet.
