Kick off the New Year More Sustainably

 

This post provides tips and ideas to help you kick off the New Year more sustainably, and illustrates why that’s a brilliant idea.

Sustainable practices support ecological, human, and economic health and vitality. 

Sustainable living is based on the fact that living things are finite, and need to be nurtured wisely. 

Sustainable practices take a long-term view at ways natural and manufactured resources are consumed. It also looks for remedies for overconsumption and abuse. 

In simplest terms, sustainability is about our children and our grandchildren, and the world we will leave them.

Look below for ways we can reduce our carbon footprint and live more sustainably.

Swap out Traditional Foods for Plant-based Ones

The carbon footprint for those who eat a plant-based diet accounts for 75 percent less greenhouse gas emissions than those who eat more than 3.5 ounces of meat a day. 

New research from the University of Oxford indicates whole food vegan eaters cause significantly less harm to land, water, and biodiversity than omnivore eaters.

Wellness benefits of eating whole foods from plant sources can reduce body weight, blood pressure and risk of heart disease, cancer and diabetes — and be eco-friendly as well.

Experiment  with tried and true recipes, by decreasing portion size of animal sourced foods and increase amount of fruits, whole grains, and vegetables that you incorporate into menu planning. 

Be adventurous and try a new plant-based food recipe each week, perhaps one with a new grain like spelt or legume like lentils. Have some fun and try making homemade bread or pizza dough too. 

Add an extra serving of vegetables to your daily plate or add fruit to your breakfast and smoothies. 

After a few weeks of modifying portions, add a portion of a fruit and vegetable you don’t eat regularly. For example, add a kiwi to fruit salad or cauliflower to that stew, and give them a trail run.
  

  

Update Water Management Practices

Did you know water heaters account for about 18% of your home's energy use? Set the water temperature a few degrees lower, and wash clothes on cold. 

These habits can reduce your energy consumption, save money and natural resources, maintain the vibrancy of your clothes, and eliminate 860 lbs. of CO2 emissions a year.

Showering with cool water is actually incredibly beneficial for your skin, and it can boost your immune system and metabolism! 

Cutting down on time we spend running a bath, washing the car, or watering a lawn can conserve much water as well. 

With droughts, wildfires, and shortage of water in the world, consider collecting rain water in a water storage tank. This type of container can store water for irrigation, farming, fire suppression, food preparation, and many other uses.

When we pause to consider that water is essential in sustaining life for all living creatures on our planet, we may foster a deeper sense of reverence and responsibility towards this finite natural resource.

For additional ideas read Water Conservation Tips to Save Money and Green Daily Living.

Reduce or Eliminate Single-Use Products

Single-use products, including plastic shopping bags, plastic water bottles, and plastic take-out/take-away containers pollutes the planet. Bring your own reusable cloth grocery bags for shopping, non-plastic reusable water bottle for drinking water on the go, and reusable containers for meals to go.

At home, wash out and keep glass jars from food or use glass containers that can be washed and reused to store leftovers. 

If a single-use product is your only option, look for items that are made from recycled materials. 

When you order from the internet, make sure the products and  company you place the order with uses environmentally friendly packaging and shipping materials, and is working to be net zero.

Shop Smart and Track Spending

Be mindful about your belongings. Before you buy anything new, try to reinvent, repair, and renovate things you already own. 

Instead of tossing out old clothes, electronics, and household items, ask yourself whether it can be mended, altered, or cleaned up. 

 Sell things that crowd your closets, cabinets, and dresser drawers to a secondhand shop, swap with a friend, or donate items that no longer fit you to a local charity.

Many household items including plastic storage containers or plastic bottles contain harmful elements. Once they are dumped into a landfill, forever chemicals can leach into the soil or ground water or even end up in our reservoirs or the ocean. 

Finding a second home for unwanted items is a good way to avoid creating garbage. It also curtails production of new products, and reduces toxic emissions caused when garbage rots or fossil fuels are burned.

When you do need to purchase a tech product or service, try to refurbish one or support companies that have reached their goal of carbon neutrality or have taken steps to achieve it. For example, read about top carbon neutral companies in the digital space.

Live with Less and Do Your Part to Help Earth Survive

Some of the sustainable moves I suggest you adopt for the New Year may not come as second nature to you. 

See them for what they truly are. Things are not a reflection of your personality or achievements. They are simply objects that you have chosen to keep in your life.

If you resist the urge to buy stuff on impulse, it encourages you to live within your means, as well as reduce the demand for new products and resources required to produce them.

Living simply means you have less clutter, can locate and see what you have with appreciation, and live more harmoniously with our changing environment.

Releasing objects so others may have them, conserves natural resources, reduces waste, and promotes sustainable consumption habits.

Make Sustainability a Family Goal

Focus on experiences over material possessions. Spend time with loved ones and/or travel to new places by using eco-friendly modes of transportation whenever possible.

No matter how we view it, living more sustainably needs to be the new normal. Each one of us will decide if and how we do that. Please choose wisely. Our survival depends on it.

Do you think living more sustainably will save money as well as be eco-friendly? Please comment below.

What creative ideas do you have for living greener in the coming years? Please share them in the comments section below.

I read every comment I receive. Just remember to put no links in your comment, as it won't be published that way.

I post on the 1st and 15th of each month. Please add www.colors4health.com to your online reading list, as you'll get wellness and color tips at the place where a healthy lifestyle and colors intersect. 

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Wishing you health, happiness, and harmony in the coming years. Let's put more of our energy into  sustaining a peaceful, eco-friendly planet in the New Year. 

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