To be honest, I don't like the idea of making New Year's resolutions, because they usually don't last past the first few days or, at best, a couple months. However, the start of a new year is always a great time to make changes to better your life.
If you have been following my blog, you might know that my goal is to find 52 ways to go green in 2014. Making weekly posts will help keep me accountable, and I will be more likely to follow through with my plan; I hope I will inspire you to make greener, healthier changes throughout the year, as well.
Maybe you don't feel up to taking on such a large project, and that's fine. Even a small step, such as recycling, can have a big impact on the environment.
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10 Green Resolutions for the New Year
If you are looking for a way to make a difference in the coming year, why not take some baby steps to going green. Make a resolution to minimize your carbon footprint. Try one or more of these ten green resolutions for the new year.
1. Reduce waste by recycling. Some cities offer curbside recycling pickup; take advantage
of this service by starting to recycle in the new year.
2. Bring reusable bags when
shopping. If it's hard to remember your cloth
bags when you go to the store, keep them in your car in a place where you will
easily see them.
3. Start composting in the new year. Compost is organic matter that has been decomposed and
recycled as fertilizer. Learn about what you can keep for compost, and start
saving your decomposable items in a bin.
4. Learn how to make green products. There are many non-toxic alternatives to cleaning and
beauty products that you can easily make at home using items you already own.
Make it your goal to learn how to make your own green products this coming
year.
5. Start thinking before you print. If you find yourself printing anything and everything,
start thinking about whether you really need to print and cut back on the
amount of paper you need to buy.
6. Drink from refillable water
bottles. By now, we all know how wasteful it
is to drink from store-bought bottled water. Instead, buy your own water filter
and carry a refillable water bottle with you.
7. Cut back - or eliminate - paper
towels. If you really want to save money
and the environment, make a new year's resolution to cut back on the number of
paper towels you use. Instead, take advantage of dishcloths or washable
"unpaper" towels.
8. Walk, rather than drive, whenever
possible. Some of us may find it difficult to
walk the distance to work every day, but think about the various places you
frequently visit that you can easily walk to.
9. Replace your light bulbs to save
energy. By switching to energy-efficient
bulbs, you will find that you don't need to replace them as often and they will
cut back on electricity usage, saving you money.
10. Go paperless whenever possible. Switch to paperless billing and pay your bills online. Use
fewer paper products in everyday life. Print less.
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How are you planning to 'go green' in the new year? Please share in the comments below.
Come back soon to find out how I'm progressing with my green challenge! It officially starts on January 1st (although I've already gotten a bit of a head start!) and my first post will be on January 6, 2014.
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