Make a "Green" New Year's Resolution in 2021
New Year's Resolutions are often made to improve one's self in the upcoming year. We suggest you resolve to make a small change in your household to improve the earth.
We've all heard "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle," and this is an excellent phrase to keep in mind. Reducing your water and energy use, reusing items when possible, and recycling what can't be reused are all ways to reduce your impact on the environment.
Here are some easy changes to make in your household in the coming year:
Switch to reusable straws - Bamboo straws are sustainable, easy to take with you, and are perfect when you'd rather have a straw than skip one
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In just the U.S. alone, one estimate suggests 500 millions straws are used every single day." - National Geographic
Take reusable utensils with you & decline plastic - Single use plastic is a problem, but taking bamboo travel utensils with you allows you to say no thank you to plastic utensils at fast food or quick serve restaurants
"Some estimates put the number of individual plastic utensils wasted at 40 billion per year in the United States alone." - Forbes
Ditch the plastic scrub pads - Consider using a natural okra scrub pad on your cooktops, pans and dishes instead of synthetics. When they've served their purpose, they are compostable and won't sit in a landfill for hundreds of years
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In 2017, landfills received 26.8 million tons of plastic." epa.gov
Try cloth napkins - We all know how many napkins children need sometimes! Consider switching to cloth. They don't have to be fancy; you can use a stack of washcloths in place of paper napkins. If you are handy, you can choose fabric you love and sew your own
Limit paper towel use - it's easy to reach for a paper towel, but consider using cloth instead. A bag of rags (think old t-shirts and worn out towels) can easily step in for paper towels, and again, you can make yourself a lovely stack of reusable paper towels with a little sewing know how!
Examining the waste in our daily lives and making small changes, can make an impact on our households (and budgets!) as well as ultimately bettering our planet.
Have you decided to make any changes in your household this year?
Have you decided to make any changes in your household this year?