by Sara Mack, Marketing Manager
Looking to reduce your environmental impact in the new year? You’ve come to the right place. The Compost Crew team has brainstormed a few resolutions to get you started on your quest to become the most sustainable version of yourself in 2021.
1. Be creative! Making new art, decor, games, food, etc out of items you already own is the most amazing thing you can do to reduce waste.
2. Eat less meat. I’m sure you’ve heard it a million times, but reducing your consumption of animal products is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint. Eating local produce and learning where your food really comes from is a big part of this, too.
3. Join a “Buy Nothing” Facebook group or bring together a group of individuals in your community who might be interested in swapping things like those unwanted white elephant holiday gifts, gear for that hobby you don’t really use anymore, or outgrown clothing.
4. Focus on giving experiences rather than material things as presents for yourself and others — they will be more meaningful in the long run anyway!
5. Donate time or money to organizations working toward sustainability. Even though individual changes to your personal life can be incredibly impactful, contributing to work on environmentally-oriented policy, decreasing emissions, and renewable resources is also important.
6. Write a letter or an email to your local politicians demanding changes that will protect our environment. Encourage your local government to adopt zero waste policies and address environmental hazards that pose particular risks to low income communities to make our local communities a safer & healthier place for all of us to live.
7. Support sustainable businesses. When you do need to purchase new items, do your research. It isn’t always feasible to shop in this way, but local products, things from thrift stores, and items from small sustainable shops aren’t always more expensive than alternatives from big corporations. Take your time making new purchases to ensure you’re purchasing from the best possible place and the earth will thank you!
8. Compost with us! C’mon, you didn’t think we would skip composting in this list, did you? Composting organic waste reduces your carbon footprint, improves local soil health, and even makes your trash less smelly — but that’s just an added bonus.
One of the best things we can say about 2020 is that it’s almost over… We can’t wait to see how you grow in the new year! Becoming a more sustainable version of yourself won’t happen overnight, but consider picking two or three items from this list as a first step. Even a few shifts toward sustainability in your daily routine will put you on the right track to helping yourself, your community, and our planet!
