5 New Year Environmental Resolutions

Every new year is a natural time to reflect on the year before and set new goals for the year ahead. This year, in addition to making personal resolutions, consider incorporating some environmentally friendly initiatives which will benefit our communities, wildlife, and the planet. To get you started, here are five resolutions that are simple to implement yet have a significant environmental impact.

1. Limit Use of Single-Use Plastics

Reducing the use of single-use plastics is one of the more challenging New Year's resolutions, but one with enormous environmental potential. Did you know that plastic shopping bags are used for just a short time, however, they have a landfill life expectancy of 500–1,000 years? Single-use plastic bottles will take 70 to 450 years to break down. Many people are used to throwing away certain products after use, but have you ever considered options that would last longer and eliminate the need to purchase it on a regular basis? Reusable bags and water bottles are common items you can buy that will prevent you from contributing pounds of plastic waste every year. Fortunately today there are numerous sustainable options like these available to help with eliminating the need for single-use products.

2. Shop Sustainable Clothing When Buying New Clothes

Mass-produced fast fashion is one of the most highly polluting sectors, contributing to about 10% of the world’s carbon emissions. Reducing the amount of new clothing items you buy is an excellent strategy to minimize pollution and reduce the amount of textile waste in landfills. One of the most important reasons to buy locally is to lessen your environmental impact. Local businesses tend to make more local purchases, requiring less travel and logistics. Additionally, there are many sustainable brands that make clothing from fibers such as hemp and organic cotton, which break down more easily and have a significantly lower impact on the planet.

3. Improve Your Water Conservation Efforts

Water is a resource that many of us are unaware we waste a lot of in our daily lives. Although water makes up about 70% of the Earth's surface, many places of the world have water shortages. Water conservation benefits the environment by reducing the amount of energy necessary to process, purify, and distribute water, which reduces pollution and conserves resources. Some ways to save water include taking shorter showers, checking for plumbing leaks, and running a full dishwasher instead of hand washing dishes. Water conservation also entails avoiding contamination of the environment. This involves the adoption of initiatives such as decreasing waste, preventing water pollution, and improving water management.

4. Recycle at Home, Work, and Beyond

Recycling is the simplest and most effective approach to minimize your carbon footprint fast. Metal, glass, and plastic are the most common materials that can be recycled. Recycling decreases the demand for manufacturing new products. This includes all operational and production-related activities. Consider how much gas is burned by working machinery. Recycling also eliminates the need for raw materials to be transported from the point of origin to various production sites which is also another major source of greenhouse gas emissions. It's easy to just throw your recyclables in the trash, challenge yourself this year by recycling at home, at work, and in public places.

5. Grow Plants or a Garden to Reduce Carbon Emissions

Plants are an excellent method to help lower your carbon impact. Carbon dioxide is absorbed by all plants, thus the more we grow, the more carbon dioxide is absorbed. Whether you have a few potted plants or a large garden, plants are always a great help to the environment. Growing your own garden has several advantages beyond lowering emissions. Even a small garden can yield hundreds of pounds of food every year, reducing the need for trips to the grocery store and pre-packaged produce.

Make a commitment this year to protecting the environment we all share, and let's work together to leave the planet in the best possible condition for the future.  To learn more about how Triumvirate helps companies improve sustainability contribute to a cleaner world, click below.