A simple list of 12 sustainable goal ideas for your New Year's Resolutions. Whether you are wanting to live a little greener and eco friendly or maybe cut back on waste in 2018. One goal a month is attainable and can help prevent overwhelm, but you may just want to pick a couple. Whichever way you go, it will make a positive impact for 2018.
1. No more accidental straws
I'm still getting caught out by unexpected straws and I hate it. The new goal is to start saying 'Can I have that without a straw please?' every single time I order a drink. This is going to be tricky to remember, so I'll be starting this one straight away and make it my main goal for January as my New year's resolution. Maybe your goal isn't straws, but think of the one single-use thing that seems to catch you out more than you would like.
2. Plant or grow something New
We all know greenery is great for our surrounds and can even make us feel happier and healthier. We will be planting some oat seeds we received a while ago so the kids can watch how they grow over the summer break, and slowly add to our indoor and outdoor plants throughout the year. You might even want to try some windowsill gardening.
3. Reduce recycling
I'm always on a mission to cut back on waste, and aiming to reduce what you need to recycle can be hard. Choose a month and an item or material type to focus on to keep this one simple. If you have been following the blog, you might have noticed that I find recycling soft plastics kinda inconvenient to store and drop-off. My aim will be to cut out more soft plastic packaging, such as frozen vegetables, chips, icy poles (which leads into goals number 5, 6,& 7).
4. Remember Reusables
If you're anything like our family, this requires more than just a scheduled reminder on your phone. I'm pretty good at keeping shopping bags in my boot, and a coffee cup in the glove box at all times, but not so great on remembering the small things. Reusable produce bags, cutlery and a few small containers just in case I make a quick stop while I'm out, will really make a difference to 2018. Aim to make this an automatic habit, like grabbing your purse, or keys. I'm even considering making a tailored grab bag with slots for the regular items I need, so it is obvious what I'm missing. (I'll post the instructions if I get around to doing this).
5. Make a Product Swap
This is another sustainable action that is simple and worthwhile, often saving money in the long-term. This past year, I've made numerous swaps to more sustainable options and my next big move is safety razors (and hopefully I can convince my partner to hop on board too!). Picking one product swap at a time and giving yourself a chance to adjust and alter until its successful is often better than changing a hundred things and making it too hard on yourself. Here are some of my favourite eco-friendly products.
6. Eat more whole foods
Doing this has health benefits as well as environmental. We all know we should eat far more vegetables, fruits, nuts and legumes and these are the most easily found foods in stores that allow you to use your own containers or bags. Processed and packaged foods contain loads more salt, preservatives and fake flavours, plus the packaging is generally plastic inside more plastic. Doing this action for 1 month will set you up for incorporating it into your daily life. One example I have started doing is to replace crackers with carrots, its simple, cheap and takes little time to implement.
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