Here is 10+ easy idea's for your sustainable new year resolution which you can get started on today. The past 8 years I have focused on limiting my footprint, and these are some of the easier sustainable tips to implement.
1. Stop buying fast fashion clothing
You save money when you buy from a fast fashion brand but the clothes you buy are cheaply made, and they won't last you for long. Instead of buying low quality clothes, opt for sustainable fashion brands that are investing in quality over quantity.
2. Stop following trends
Trends are wasteful, and they won't last. Most trends come around again at some point but you might have to wait 10-20 years time but do you really want to use your entire storage, and money on clothes that you can only wear a season or two? Opt for a timeless capsule collection that you can build your wardrobe around.
3. Meat free Monday's
I think that the subject line calls it out? Implement a day in your week where you eat no meat at all. I think we just added one easy new year's resolution to your list right?
4. Limit your Dryer consumption
How do I limit my dryer consumption in 2023? Start to line-dry most of your clothes instead. Benefits? You save money because your clothing will last longer. You save money on your electricity bill, and best of all if you can line dry it outside your laundry will smell amazing. What's not to love?
5. Stop using zip lock bags
I was a frequent user of zip-lock bags. Now I use containers for everything else that I used to use plastic bags for. Benefit? I save money, and I don't pollute with un-neassary throw out plastics.
6. No more kitchen towels & spray
Only use reusable kitchen towels & dish soap to clean your counter tops. Growing up in Denmark it has always been the norm to use reusable dish, and kitchen towels but I was surprised to see that it wasn't the case in the USA. Search for "Swedish dish towels".
7. Hand Soap
Start using foam soap instead, and buy large containers that you can refill from. Search for "foaming soap dispenser". Use less plastic bottles, save money and in the end help saving the planet.
8. Fill your washing machine
Because of the war in Ukraine we are having an energy crises in Denmark which has put everything in prospective. We only wash our clothes at night time, and we make sure to fill our machines to save money. Do you want to wash more environment friendly? Fill your washing machine to save energy but also save money, and time having to wash less frequently.
9. Use bar soaps
Save 6 shampoo bottles, 3 conditioner bottles & 10 shower gels a year that's at least 2 lbs of plastic waste? I was skeptical at first when trying to switch to a shampoo bar and conditioner bars, and finding them took me 6 months before I found a shampoo and conditioner that made my hair feel better then my old salon shampoo ever had. Next I had to find a body bar, and I wanted to find one that i could use on my sensitive face guess what I found it too. I have linked them above.
10. Switch to Bamboo toilet paper
Bamboo is the fastest growing plant on the planet, and it is an co2 absorbing powerhouse. The paper is soft and durable and better for the planet than your regular toilet paper.
11. Bring your own bag - bonus tip
Are you going grocery shopping then make sure to bring your own bag. Regular shopping bags are used on average 15 minutes before they are thrown to the curve. The plastic bags deteriorate into microplastics, and are consumed by fish and wildlife because they think it's food. 100 million marine animals die every year from eating plastic waste.
I hope that you can use some of these sustainable new year resolution tips so that we together can do ours to create better future for the next generations to come. Thanks for reading.
X, M
