New Year’s Goals – How can you make them more sustainable?
2023 – the New Year is upon us and many will be making plans of what to make of the year ahead with New Year’s Goals. There are the tried and tested resolutions of losing weight, eating a healthier diet and having a better work life balance. Given the recent talk on the effect of the climate crisis, why not think about centring your goals around leading a more sustainable lifestyle?
There have been many ways in which climate protestors have made their voice heard over in 2022 – as important as these conversations are, why not walk the walk and act on those thoughts and make the sustainable lifestyle you want a reality!
One of the best ways to create a larger change is to be the change you want to see in the world. It seems now too that governments are finally catching on – there is obviously still more needs to be done around the fossil fuels industry but the UK government just announced yesterday a ban on single use plastic cutlery and plates. This will save on the production and waste of 1.1 billion plates and 4 billion pieces of cutlery every year in England alone!
The future is in our hands but where to start? We have compiled a few ideas and things that can help you reach your goals. Check them out below.
Veganuary for New Year’s Goals and beyond
Now eight years old having started in January 2014, Veganuary has grown year on year in helping people interested in changing the way they eat, trying new things and feeling more positive about their diet.
For sustainability it makes sense. There are lots of grains we grow to feed animals and support a surplus supply of animals which can often end up wasted with short shelf lives. The number of animals brought into this world simply to support the demand of meat and animal-based foods simply does not need to be.
If you are worried about how this lifestyle change might effect your diet, Veganuary have come up with a fantastic Eating Guides page on their site which gives lots of tips on getting started, nutrition, restaurants as well as shopping.
Taking it to an even greater level of sustainability, there are two brands on the ecomersh. platform who sell zero waste ways to create two often bought vegan items in oat milk and tofu. In the long term, buying oats or soy beans from a zero waste store in conjunction with the below products you can save on both money and plastic waste.
Kitleys – Make Your Own Oat Milk
Oat Milk has boomed in popularity recently for its wonderful creamy texture but it can be hugely expensive. This often comes in difficult to recycle cartons and will usually contain preservatives, emulsifiers and additives. By making it yourself, you can also make it just how you like it and save a pretty penny too!
Zofu – Zero Waste Tofu
Create great-tasting and preservative-free tofu at home with a simple as well as straightforward recipe. The easy-to-assemble design contains no nails or screws that rust. Choose between silky as well as firm tofu depending on the dishes you are making. Press bought tofu to create a firm, meaty texture – perfect for curries and also stir-fries. Eliminate the need for plastic packaging to fit your zero-waste lifestyle.
Clean Up The Environment
As a New Year’s goal, litter picking can be a great way of doing your bit to help your local environment, get some fresh air and exercise. Most of all it can be a great boost to your mood and feel like you are a part of the solution.
One way in which some newer emerging sustainable businesses have been contributing to this effort and sharing this effort with their customers, is by pledging a portion of their earnings to responsible environmental conservation and waste recovery efforts.
One such company is Serious, who have now planted almost 1.5 million trees since 2020 through the sales of their toilet paper. They have now also recovered 3500kg in ocean plastic with their plastic free soaps and laundry products.
Serious Tissues
Serious Tissues’ mission is to not just get people to stop damage to the environment but to help reverse it.
Change the world by changing your toilet paper. Serious Tissues recycled 3 Ply Toilet Paper is a soft that is made to the highest standards. Produced in the UK, just outside Manchester, from 100% recycled paper. Each roll has 280 sheets and 32.2 metres of soft toilet roll.
Serious Soaps
Every minute enough plastic to fill a rubbish truck enters our oceans. The average family of 4 uses over 40 hand soap bottles in a year; it’s time to make the change. Each 3 pack of Serious Soaps removes 1kg of ocean-bound plastic from nature. This is the equivalent of fifty 500ml bottles or 500 crisp packets. These soaps are 190g, almost double the size of the average supermarket bar soap and also lasts 4-5 weeks.
Cut Out Plastics and Go Zero Waste on Plastics as a New Year’s Goal
One of the greatest challenges in moving towards a more sustainable lifestyle is finding ways to cut out everyday plastics with recycling rates which are simply not good enough.
In the production process alone, one ton of virgin plastics is estimated to create 3500kg of CO2 emissions. The lifecycle of the product is the real issue here. Created from fossil fuels, being sent to landfill and then breaking down into harmful microplastics.
At current recycling rates and the path that we are on, humanity is on track to pollute oceans with more plastic in weight than fish by 2050.
One brand that is putting in the work to stop this from happening is SUPA. They have designed a 100% plastic free bottle. Great for holding everyday products such as laundry liquids, dish washing liquid and even a dishwasher rinse aid!
SUPA
This 100% plant based, perfume-free powerful liquid cuts through grease and burnt-on stains effortlessly, and because it’s concentrated, a little really does go a long way. It’s 100% hypoallergenic too, also making it suitable for those with sensitive skin and strong allergies.