New Year’s Resolutions That Are Truly Sustainable

Date: January 9, 2008 | Category: Lifestyle, Media, Stores & Resources, The Home, Travel

I love the New Year - a time to reflect on all that you have accomplished and how much more there is to do in the coming year. We announce our commitments to new behaviors, many of which are not practical or possible. Ecofabulous would like to share some simple tips that everyone can fully embrace. I encourage you to pick a few, but if only one seems feasible for starters, go for it. Since I already adhere to the list below, I am now resolving to no longer buy any non-sustainable clothing. And once again, I am resolving to do more yoga (I got a new PVC-free yoga mat over the holidays, so I have no excuse… again).

1. Bring your own bags to the grocery store, department store — and every store: Each year billions of bags end up as ugly (toxic) litter (it is now estimated that there is 6 times as much plastic in our oceans as there is plankton)… good thing there are plenty of sustainable bags on the market to take to the store! They are far more attractive than plastic/paper bags and go a long way when it comes to eliminating waste. Put a few in your purse, in your trunk, in your glove compartment or even on your key chain! Before you know it, bringing your own bags will become part of the automatic: “keys, wallet, phone, sunglasses, bags” check before you leave the house.

2. Use a re-usable bottle and/or travel mug for beverages: On average Americans use enough disposable hot beverage containers to circle the earth 55 times! You can feel great about using your own mug at your favorite coffee shop (and most offer a 5 to 10 cent discount if you bring your own!). Along with using a commuter mug, toting a re-usable water bottle will become second nature when you get in the swing (and swig) of it. Earthlust and Klean Kanteen filled with filtered water are non-leeching, recyclable thirst quenchers.

3. Use paper goods that are made from recycled post consumer waste: From the bathroom to your office, paper is a household and work-wide staple; so look for products that contain 100% recycled post consumer waste or are tree-free.

4. Use eco-friendly cleaning products and eliminate chlorine bleach: Bleach and some of your favorite conventional detergents can be tough to leave behind - but a little easier when you think you’re also saying bye-bye to dioxin and other toxic chemicals. Thankfully, there are many effective new products that make cleaning easy, healthy and eco-friendly. Shaklee and Method are some of the best products to green your new year with!

5. Eliminate the energy vampires and unplug or turn off idling electronics: Some of the biggest energy wasters in the home are cell phone chargers, computers, printers, Ipod chargers, and the likes. If you walk around your home or office, you’ll start to notice the proliferation of appliances and chargers that are idling, poised and just waiting to be used. Energy vampires or phantom energy loads can be avoided by making sure you unplug your chargers and appliances when not needed. Or better yet - use a power strip and make sure you flip the switch when not in use.

6. Eat organic food: Pesticides and chemicals are not good for us and they are certainly not good for the planet or the other animals that live on it. Organic food is becoming more readily available and most stores have sections that contain the organic variety of everything you need - from cereals to ketchup to fruits and veggies…

7. Use Organic beauty supplies: We absorb 60-70 per cent of what we put on our skin. Like the food we eat, the products we put on our skin are unquestionably important for maintaining and supporting personal and environmental health.

8. Purchase sustainable clothing: As I mentioned, this is one that I’m committing to this year. Consuming less is the name of the game of course… but when a new frock is called for, luckily eco innovations in fashion will indeed be friendly this year! Sustainable, innovative lines of clothing will continually hit the market in 2008…from organic cotton to bamboo to Ingeo, there is much to celebrate.

9. Purchase offsets: As we always say, offsets are not a panacea, but it is a good way to invest in organizations that support alternative energy solutions and production. It is also important to understand and account for your own personal footprint when reduction is not enough. Many people start to use offsets when flying, but you can easily offset a party, road trip - or your whole house for a year! Check out TerraPass and Carbon Fund for the different options that might best suit your lifestyle.

10. Recycle, compost and re-use: This one is an old eco-standby, but it’s amazing how many people only recycle when there is a designated bin on the street, at a venue, at a friends house - or sometimes only in the “kitchen” because that’s where the receptacle is. If you don’t have a recycling bin where you need one - put one there. Use a pretty basket or container that fits with your decor. Composting is another one that takes some getting used to; some people don’t care for dealing with food scraps. However, I have some friends that started using compostable bags for their food scraps and they found the process is simple, clean and fly-less.

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