“New Year, new me.” The phrase gets thrown around in January as the excitement of the new beginning sets in, but in reality, we tend to throw out resolutions quickly. Humans are habitual creatures, so it only makes sense. Many focus their resolutions on working out, eating better, etc., yet sustainability is often pushed to the side. In reality, it’s one of the easiest ways someone can change their lifestyle to reap positive impacts.
Here are a few small, sustainable lifestyle changes that you can make in the new year!
Eat less cheese
Though working to remove or lessen meat from your diet is great for the environment, one food that people don’t realize isn’t environmentally friendly is cheese. Cheese, like all dairy products, takes copious amounts of water to make, and the amount of viable freshwater on earth is extremely small. Purchasing and consuming an abundance of cheese supports the overuse of freshwater, which, over time, is detrimental to our freshwater resources. I know cheese is amazing but try and lay off the charcuterie boards in the coming months!
Recycle (Correctly)
Recycling, as simple as it seems, is not always done correctly, which leads to landfills filled with items that could be sustainably re-sourced. At the University of Washington, sustainability is promoted through organized compost, recycling, electronic recycling, and garbage bins. All food waste goes to the compost, you recycle items like paper and plastic, electronically recycle old devices (or donate them!), and finally you trash items such as plastic liners and cleaning wipes. Here is a crash course to disposing of waste correctly: https://www.wm.com/us/en/recycle-right/recycling-101
Reusable items
There are so many items we use day-to-day that end up in the trash. Take-out containers, straws, baking cups, grocery bags, napkins can all be replaced with reusable options. Switching out single-use items with reusable ones can reduce waste in mass quantities, and you can pick what your reusable items look like!
Walk!
Many car trips are unnecessary when you can walk or bike with virtually no carbon emissions! Burning gas in a car releases carbon dioxide, which slowly deteriorates and warms our atmosphere. Making the small decision to walk or bike (if the weather permits) can assist in decreasing carbon emissions! It’s especially easy in Seattle to choose walking over driving. Another great alternative is using public transport!
Shop locally
Ordering frequently from businesses such as Amazon (or even worse, TikTok shops…) negatively impact the environment in several ways by creating waste, producing carbon emissions, and more. Though Amazon and other companies are working to reduce their environmental impact, there are better alternatives. Especially in Seattle, there are so many local farmers markets where you can shop for produce or find other locally owned businesses! Supporting local farmers and businesses encourages less transport for products, therefore reducing carbon emissions. Here is a list of some Seattle farmers markets: https://seattlefarmersmarkets.org/
I hope you can find ways to incorporate more sustainable ways into your lifestyle–there is no planet B. Happy 2024!