It’s hard to believe that a new year is already upon us. Time seems to fly faster and faster as we get older! As we prepare to ring in 2023, many of us are thinking about ways we can improve our lives. If one of your New Year’s resolutions is to live more sustainably, you’re in luck. In this article, we will discuss 10 easy ways for you to become more environmentally friendly in the coming year.
10 Ways to Become More Environmentally Friendly in the New Year
It’s time to start thinking about ways to become more environmentally friendly. After all, making small changes can have a huge impact on the environment and help us reduce our carbon footprint. Here are 10 simple ways to be more eco-friendly in the new year:
1. Lean Something New: Learning new skills is always beneficial. This year, why not focus on something that can contribute to caring for the environment? Backyard composting and rain barrel installation are two examples of ways to conserve resources and help the planet.
Not only can you benefit from honing these skills for your own home, but you can also pass them on to others, enabling wider communities to benefit from becoming more sustainable. Overall, developing environmental-friendly skills is a great way to improve both personal and planetary life!
2. Develop Healthy Habits: When it comes to reducing the impact of our everyday lives on the environment, small changes can make a big difference. Every person can play their part by switching to non-toxic alternatives for housecleaning, using reusable containers instead of disposable products, and taking advantage of carpooling opportunities as much as possible.
These small habits add up over time and contribute to making our planet a safer and healthier place. If everyone made these changes simultaneously, we would see truly remarkable environmental improvements in no time at all. As individuals and as a society, we have the power to create positive change if we work together.
Making small changes like using non-toxic alternatives for housecleaning, opting for reusable containers instead of disposable items, or even utilizing carpools more often helps reduce your overall environmental impact. If everyone made these small changes together, it would make a huge difference.
3. Get Organized: By deciding to clean out your basement, garage, or shed, you are taking a positive step towards making the earth more environmentally friendly. This is because it often contains hazardous materials such as solvents, paints, and fuels that must be properly disposed of. Likewise, e-waste such as televisions and computer parts can contain chemicals that are damaging to the environment if not disposed of correctly.
Removing these materials from your home is essential for keeping nature safe from harm. If these items end up in landfills or get dumped into bodies of water, their harmful pollutants can spread quickly and far away!
4. Shed Pounds Instantly: Donating gently used items to local nonprofit organizations can be a great way to reduce your carbon footprint! Not only will you free up some much-needed space and help to give back to your community, but it’s also an environmentally friendly way to make a difference.
These donations don’t just provide much-needed items for people in need – they keep usable materials out of landfills, which helps create a healthier planet. Make the most of your cleaning spree by tidying up your spot and doing some good for the community at the same time!
5. Invest More: Investing in smart home improvements such as energy-efficient appliances and solar panels is becoming more commonplace in homes all across the world. Not only will these upgrades to your home help reduce your carbon footprint, but they’ll also save you money in the long run.
Although it may appear to be a large investment initially, you can rest assured that you’ll be making back the money you put forward with time. Investing in smart, eco-friendly upgrades for your home just makes sense!
6. Get Involved: Becoming involved with a smaller, local environmental activism group provides individuals with the chance to make their voices heard on matters concerning climate change and global warming.
Joining is not only rewarding, but it offers tangible results that can be observed – making an individual realize how their efforts truly contribute to the cause. These hands-on experiences are priceless, as they provide the satisfaction of knowing that each individual’s actions can yield an immense outcome.
7. Get Moving: Taking part in neighborhood litter clean-ups is a great way for people to show their support for environmental causes without having to dedicate hours each day. Not only that, but it’s a good opportunity to enjoy some much-needed fresh air and exercise while bonding with one’s community.
It is also an easy springboard for those who haven’t yet been exposed to activism and may be searching for the right cause to get involved in. By simply collecting litter, individuals have the power to make a massive difference in their local environment and can receive both physical and mental health rewards through being out in nature.
8. Gain a New Skill: Volunteering with a rain garden program is a wonderfully rewarding experience. Not only can citizens help create aesthetically pleasing gardens that reduce stormwater runoff from roads and buildings, but they can also learn more about how to conserve water – an important step towards improving our environment.
Rain gardens are known for their beauty as well as their effectiveness in capturing and preventing pollutants from entering surrounding waterways while preserving natural drainage pathways and making use of existing vegetation. Volunteers will certainly find this work to be gratifying, not just through the physical act of gardening but by knowing that projects like these are making helpful contributions to protecting the planet.
9. Make A Difference: Donating money or joining organizations to help protect the planet is an important and necessary way to get involved. Even a small contribution can make a big difference, and those efforts can have real, lasting effects on our environment for future generations.
Groups like Greenpeace or The Environmental Defense Fund are just two examples of many organizations that work tirelessly to preserve our planet in various ways. By participating in their causes, whether with our time and energy, or donating funds, we show how much love and respect we have for this beautiful planet. Together, we can prove that every little bit counts!
10. Reduce Stress: Finally, taking a few moments each day to enjoy nature can create a sense of calmness and relaxation, enabling us all to become more present in our environment. A more mindful way of seeing the world, it allows us to observe even small details with clarity, such as the whirring sound of birds or the feel of grass beneath our feet.
Stepping away from our everyday hustle and bustle and into the embrace of nature has been scientifically proven to lower stress levels and boost moods – not just providing numerous mental health benefits but bringing us closer to the rhythm of life.
Small Changes Can Have a Huge Impact
Becoming more environmentally friendly doesn’t have to be complicated; there are plenty of simple steps we can take every day that adds up over time into real lasting change! From learning something new like backyard composting, developing healthy habits around cleaning products, investing in smart home improvements, or volunteering with a rain garden program—we all have something we can do today that will benefit our planet tomorrow!
So what are you waiting for? Take action today and join millions around the world who are striving towards creating a better tomorrow! Let’s go green together this year!
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This article is intended for informational, entertainment or educational purposes only and should not be construed as advice, guidance or counsel. It is provided without warranty of any kind.