Every year at this time, we’re inundated with lists of Things To Do In The New Year. They can be intimidating, and make us feel as though if we don’t accomplish them all, we’ve failed. This isn’t one of those lists. Tina has put together ten tips that you can use to be kinder to the planet this year. They’re easy wins that won’t require too much work.
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Reuse plastic bags as often as you can – within reason! Tortillas often come in a resealable bag – once it’s empty, why not use it as a sandwich bag to take your lunch to work?
Reuse paper at least once. Do you get junk mail with envelopes inside them? Those are perfect for lists – grocery lists, to-do lists… It seems so obvious, but don’t forget that paper has two sides! When your kids have created artwork, if it isn’t something that’s going on the fridge (or after it comes down!), they can use the other side to draw on, instead of always reaching for a new piece of paper.
Turn the heat down. If you’re out all day, the house doesn’t need to be at a temperature that would be comfortable when you’re home. Yes, it might take a few minutes to warm up when you get home, but you can leave your coat on for that little time. And there’s really no need for it to feel like summer inside when it’s winter outside – try keeping the temperature at a point where you can be comfortable wearing a sweater or sweatshirt.
Designate an “eat now” shelf in your fridge. That half jar of sundried tomatoes, tomato paste, or black beans? Put them where you’ll see them when you open the refrigerator so you’ll be reminded to find a way to use them up.
Increase your meatless days by one. You don’t even have to have an entire meatless day – although if you want to, that’s great! – but at least try to have more vegetarian meals each week than you currently do. There are a lot of delicious recipes out there, not only in vegetarian cookbooks, but in “regular” ones. Check out Simply Julia by Julia Turshen (who was a guest on the podcast). Oh She Glows is both a cookbook and a website full of recipes.
Treat yourself with compassion. How is that an environmental tip, you may be asking? You aren’t going to be able to be the perfect environmentalist; it is simply not possible. But the more you can be kind to yourself about your choices, the more you will be free to keep making small changes and speaking up about the issues you care about.
Turn your car off! That doesn’t mean don’t drive; just don’t leave the engine idling and pouring harmful gases into the atmosphere if you don’t have to. You may be waiting in the car for someone, so you leave the engine running to have the heat on. If you’re only going to be there for five or ten minutes, it won’t get that cold inside the car if you turn it off – plus you probably have your coat on.
When you eat out, look for restaurants that offer vegetarian options and/or use organic or locally-sourced ingredients. Even if you plan to eat meat, restaurants that consider vegetarians often consider their impact on the planet and act accordingly.
Share clothes. Not your everyday clothes, but if you need an outfit for a specific occasion or a themed party, see if you can borrow from someone, rather than buying items that you’ll probably only use once.
Get another use from greeting cards, magazines, and even junk mail. Save images that appeal to you and use them yourself to create a vision board that will inspire you throughout the year, or have your kids create a collage. Seeing a card again that you received from someone close to you will remind you of them and make you smile.
And finally, this isn’t really a tip, but it is a suggestion. Join Tina in her 1,2,3 Challenge. For the month of January, she’s going to do three things each day: hug one tree, pick up two pieces of trash, and take three deep breaths, ideally outdoors in nature. Hugging the tree will help connect you to nature and you’ll be surprised by how good it makes you feel! Same with the three deep breaths. And picking up litter will support your community, as well as the planet. You don’t have to do them all every day, or maybe one day you pick up a bunch of litter and other days none. But whatever you do, try to find a way to connect with nature as often as you can.
