ECO-FRIENDLY NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS
Everyone deserves to breathe fresh and clean air. In recent years what everyone has been inhaling is nothing except air with chemicals lurking that half of us are not even aware of. However, one little step if taken by every individual on the planet will be very essential in restoring the balance in the environment. With the year just starting, many of us have felt the pressure to resolve to better ourselves. Even if we fail to keep up with our resolutions we can take one step to make our way of life more sustainable and eco-friendlier. (Someone can be benefitted at the least.)
The term ‘eco-friendly’ according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary means ‘not environmentally harmful’. A tad bit of consciousness can turn out to be very effective for the environment. And we say it is needed because we have to save the planet elsewhere would we all go? Here are some eco-friendly resolutions for the year 2022.
Avoid Easy fashion
Easy fashion may look tempting but it sure does come with a lot of drawbacks. All those too good to be true stores with insanely cheap clothing to fulfill our insatiable hunger for clothes are a leading cause of environmental damage. The fashion industry is the second - most polluting industry after oil. This year, consider buying only those clothes that you are sure will not go out of fashion within six months or less and are timeless. Only buy what you need. Shop at thrift stores, buy domestically-made garments, choose high-quality materials that last, and consider spending more on quality than quantity. Opt for brand which provide sustainable clothing
Refine your makeup regime and use products that are good for both – you and the planet. Make sure you are opting in for products that are made using natural extracts and keep you away from harmful toxins. Look up brands that are eco-friendly and non-toxic. Use bar shampoos and conditioners instead of bottles and ofcourse use more natural remedies for skin care. Look up the labels and read the ingredients list. Go for brands who disclose their full ingredient list and opt out of those brands who only display “key ingredients list”. When a brand doesn’t disclose a full ingredients list, there is something they are hesitating in displaying in their packaging. Remember a visit to the salon, with fancy hair colouring will only lead to a lot of harsh chemical usage and a lot of hair loss after sometime. How many times have you coloured your hair and then looked at the mirror after a few months, wherein the hair is looking like straw?
Carry your shopping bags
It is kind of uncanny how basic something can be yet most difficult to follow. Remembering to carry your shopping bag is something we forget more often than not. We shop worth thousands and then pay for plastic bags that pollute the environment and release greenhouse gasses. A simple way is to keep two sets of bags in your cars so that even if you take one out and forget to keep one back you have a spare one handy. This will turn out to be very effective in reducing the use of plastics. You can also insert some beeswax wraps in your bag, just in case you decide to step out, go for a meal and are in a situation to parcel your food back - At Least the stuff that can be wrapped in those can be easily taken back with you using this.
Walk, bike, and use public transport
This is again something very regular but we do not follow it because of our laziness and habit to make things convenient. It is not very difficult to walk shorter distances or bike to run a few errands. Anything we do to reduce our transportation this year, even just one day a week will be a boon for both the environment and our wallet.
Donate, Recycle, and Upcycle
When cleaning out your homes and closets, instead of just throwing away the items, donate them and or give them a new purpose. Recycle what can be recycled, do some DIY crafts to rejuvenate, and donate to local communities and organizations. The amount of plastic waste that is generated for entertainment of children at home is crazy, opt for a toy library, recycle the toys, walk up to your friends and ask them if you can borrow something for a week that interests you, you will be surprised to see how receptive people are to such ideas
Give up One time use Bottles!
Water is something that we need the most. We often end up purchasing water bottles while we are out in haste. A more environmentally friendly way is to carry our water bottles and fill it up as needed. This is again a trivial change we can make on our level but it will be highly beneficial in our initiative. If you are having a party at your place the last thing you want to organise for is small bottles for the crowd, instead fill up a big water container or couple of jugs and leave recyclable glasses for people to use
Plant a garden
Planting a garden can never go wrong. Even if it is a small garden with three-four indoor plants or a small kitchen garden it can only turn out to be beneficial and good for the environment because the benefits of growing your garden go way beyond reducing emissions. Being closer to plants brings you closer to nature and also helps in mental peace restoration in this busy world
Healthy eating
Eating more vegetarian food ! Approximately one-third of the food emissions come from red meat and dairy products. Greenpeace studies reveal that raising livestock causes as much pollution as vehicles and also has a carbon footprint. Reducing the consumption of meat will make a huge difference in reducing the number of carbon footprints.
Now that you have a few ideas with some easily attainable and sustainable new year resolutions, pick one and start saving the world!
It may not seem like much but everyone who picks even one of these and starts to follow will see a lasting impact in the upcoming years!
Happy Saving, Guys!
