It is that time of year again when the New Year's resolutions come hard and heavy. We are ready to make changes that are going to make us better people and members of our families and communities. But then January comes. January turns into February, and many of those New Year's resolutions go by the wayside as life gets busy. Let's change that in 2023.
How about we make this year's New Year's resolutions about sustainability? Even better, let us do our best to come up with sustainable resolutions we can actually keep because they make sense on other levels. The key is to make them reasonable and value-add in your life. If we choose resolutions that are well within our grasp that have some kind of ROI, we are more likely to stay true to them throughout the year.
With that in mind, below are five sustainable New Year's resolutions that are reasonable enough to stick with.
1. Make the Switch to Rechargeable Batteries
We must start with recommending rechargeable batteries for two reasons. First, it is our business and passion. Second, it's so easy to do. Lithium-ion rechargeable batteries perform so well compared to older rechargeable battery chemistries and are no longer hard-to-find niche products. They are everywhere. Pale Blue Earth USB-C rechargeable batteries will make your life more convenient and keep you off the single use battery treadmill.
Just say no to those disposable batteries at the grocery store. Don't buy them online, either. Go with rechargeable batteries and do your part to reduce your battery waste while saving money over time.
2. Carry a Water Bottle
Instead of buying bottled water when you're out and about, carry a water bottle with you. Get one that is easy to carry and fits into your backpack, cup holders, etc. so you will get in the habit of bringing it everywhere. If everybody carried water bottles and refilled them at drinking fountains, imagine how many plastic bottles we could keep out of landfills. Just like disposable batteries, plastic bottles need not go into landfills and or end up polluting our waterways.
3. Choose Reusable Shopping Bags
Speaking of plastic bottles, they aren't the only type of plastic that needlessly ends up in landfills. Another example is all those plastic shopping bags. You can make a difference by choosing reusable shopping bags instead. These are fabric bags you store at home, then take with you when you go shopping. Every trip with your reusable bags means fewer plastic bags making their way to the landfill.
Even if you don't want to invest in fabric bags, save the plastic bags from one of your shopping trips. Then continue reusing them until they break. A dozen trips with those same bags will still reduce the volume of plastic you are contributing to the waste stream.
4. Carry a Reusable Coffee Cup
Hopefully, you are sensing a trend here: choosing reusable items instead of their disposable counterparts. The trend carries through to your morning coffee. Rather than using a disposable cup every workday, use a travel mug instead. Enjoy your coffee, then wash it out. It will be ready to go the next day. Meanwhile, the disposable cups you would have used don't make it to the landfill by way of your actions.
5. Don't Chase Fashion
Finally, you can contribute to sustainability by making a commitment to not chase fashion. The fashion industry is one of the most polluting industries in the world. Do not contribute. Keep your clothes until they wear out. Avoid buying new just for the sake of doing so. Your clothes will actually last longer than you think.
With the start of 2023 here, the New Year's resolutions will be coming fast and furious. If you're planning to make resolutions this year, how about making reasonable resolutions you can keep, resolutions that will help contribute to sustainability?
