Every year, people make New Year’s resolutions to improve their lives and make it their best year yet.
Although common resolutions for the new year include losing weight, getting more organized, or learning a new hobby, opting for more eco-friendly New Year’s resolutions is also a great idea!
I actually like to make my New Year’s resolutions on my birthday, because that’s when my new year starts! But really, you don’t need a set time to make resolutions – start whenever!
Living a greener and more sustainable lifestyle will benefit the environment in a variety of ways, but some people may not realize that it will benefit their savings as well.
Since living more environmentally-friendly revolves around reusable products, creating less waste, and reducing energy consumption, just to name a few, this also means that you will spend less and waste less money.
And since saving money is usually another common New Year’s resolution many people add to their list, assigning yourself more sustainable New Year’s resolutions is a great way to save money and the planet at the same time.
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Here are 20 New Year’s resolutions to consider adding to your list.
1. Practice Meatless Mondays
Reducing your meat consumption is something everyone can do just by opting out of eating meat one day a week.
There are environmental benefits when eating less meat, such as a lower carbon footprint, saving water and fossil fuels, and reducing greenhouse gases. There are also health benefits to eating less meat.
Devote yourself to having no meat on Mondays to help lower your carbon footprint and conserve resources.
2. Drive less
Another great way to lower your carbon footprint is to drive your car less.
Make it a New Years resolution to drive less by walking, bicycling or taking public transit when your destination is close by. For places that are further away, try carpooling.
3. Start composting
In the New Year, start composting your food scraps and other biodegradable items.
Composting has many benefits, and a compost is essential for people living a low-waste lifestyle.
Once something has reached the end of its lifecycle, it’s a great feeling to throw it out into the compost bin, knowing that it will break down naturally and create an organic material to enrich your garden.
4. Start a garden
Speaking of gardens, consider starting one!
Growing your own food has many benefits, such as saving money, having fresher fruits and vegetables and eliminating plastic packaging.
A lot of grocery stores are still wrapping produce in single-use plastic, so building a garden in the New Year will help you have a less wasteful kitchen.
5. Stop buying single-use plastics
One of the more difficult New Year’s resolutions, but one with huge environmental potential is to stop buying single-use plastics.
For example, say no to disposable plastics like saran wrap, plastic baggies and plastic straws.
Check out my post single-use plastic alternatives to help you go zero-waste.
6. Waste less food in the New Year
Wasting food negatively impacts the environment because food waste in landfills creates the greenhouse gases methane and carbon dioxide.
When you waste food, it also means you’re wasting the water used to produce it, as well as the money you spent to buy it. So if one of your New Year’s resolutions is to save money, see if you tend to waste money due to waste food.
Read my tips for reducing food waste at home to get a head start on your goal!
7. Waste less water
Water is a commodity that many of us don’t realize we waste a lot of in our day-to-day.
Conserving water helps preserve our environment because it saves on energy required to process, clean and distribute water, which then lessens pollution and conserves resources.
Saving water is a fairly easy New Year’s resolution to add to your list, and I’ve got 30 water conservation tips to help you stick with it!
Some examples include taking quicker showers, collecting your warmup water, and opting for running a full dishwasher rather than washing dishes by hand.
8. Wrap gifts with zero-waste all year round
You may buy presents this year for family and friends, for different occasions like birthdays, Valentine’s day, Father’s and Mother’s day, which means you may need to wrap them.
However, traditional wrapping paper is usually not recyclable, so it just ends up getting trashed.
Make it a New Year’s resolution to only wrap the gifts you give this year in eco-friendly wrapping that can be reused or composted.
See my post for some eco-friendly and plastic-free gift wrapping ideas.
9. Convert to bar soaps in the New Year
Switching from plastic soap bottles to bar soaps is a super easy and eco-friendly New Year’s resolution to add to your list.
Bar shampoo and conditioner is a great way to use less plastic at home and it really doesn’t require much effort.
My favorite bar shampoo and conditioner bars were from Unwrapped Life, which also came in a tiny cardboard box that was taped with paper tape and the bars were wrapped in paper.
10. Start buying reusable products in 2021
Opting for reusable products is one of the best ways to be more environmentally-friendly. That’s because using reusable products means you’re creating less waste.
A lot of times, certain things we allow into our home aren’t even recycled, and therefore end up in landfills or in oceans.
Check out my post zero-waste products on Amazon to learn more about the types of reusable products you can buy in the New Year.
You’ll see my zero-waste product recommendations like reusable makeup remover pads, beeswax food wraps, silicone baking mats and fancy reusable grocery bags.
11. Skip tampons with plastic applicators
A good New Year’s resolution for women – skip tampons with plastic applicators. Instead, just buy tampons that have cardboard applicators.
They’re usually biodegradable and that’s less plastic in the oceans since plastic applicators are often found during beach cleanups.
12. Join like-minded groups
It’s an amazing feeling to find a community where people share your thoughts and beliefs. Find groups on Facebook that revolve around zero-waste, plastic-free and sustainable living.
These groups are filled with people like you and I who are trying to save the planet by creating better habits. You can interact with each other, ask and answer questions, provide support, and stay motivated.
Make it a New Year’s resolution this year to join some of these eco-friendly lifestyle groups and stay engaged!
13. Sign petitions throughout the year
Signing petitions is a great way to drive change and create a positive impact. Petitions are also a great way for big brands to hear what we as consumers want differently.
Sign up to a petition newsletter like at Care2 Petitions to get emails about ongoing petitions and sign them!
14. Become an environmental activist in the New Year
There are ways that you can take actionable measures to help save the planet and create change:
- Create petitions
- Organize or join litter cleanups
- Join a community garden
- Start a blog to spread awareness
In the New Year, become more of an environmental activist to help drive change for a better future.
15. Learn how to sew
Another personal New Year’s resolution for myself, learning how to sew is a great way to make things yourself instead of purchasing from a store.
Sewing is also a great sustainable skill to have, because you can repair and upcycle clothes and other textiles, helping you be more self-sufficient and zero-waste.
For example, I have clothes that I no longer wear but I would love to make things like reusable bags out of the upcycled material.
There’s a lot of DIY zero-waste products you can create for yourself and your home with just basic sewing knowledge.
16. Only buy secondhand clothing in 2021
Fast fashion is one of the biggest drivers of pollution, so reducing the amount of fast fashion brands you purchase from is a great way to reduce pollution and lessen textile waste in landfills.
Instead of purchasing new clothes throughout the year, a good green New Year’s resolution is to only buy secondhand clothing.
This was a personal New Year’s resolution of mine in 2020, and I achieved it! It’s not as hard as you might think.
If you’re hesistant on devoting yourself to this goal in the New Year, go read my post about why buying secondhand clothing is awesome and you may just change your mind!
17. Only shop from sustainable clothing brands
If secondhand clothing really isn’t your thing, instead make a New Year’s resolution to only shop from sustainable fashion brands.
Sustainable fashion brands are slowing down the fashion industry, making a huge difference in the world.
See my post sustainable fashion brands saving the planet to discover some amazing slow fashion brands that make clothes out of sustainable materials.
18. Build a sustainable wardrobe
Take your clothes shopping habits a step further and build a sustainable wardrobe in the New Year.
Building a sustainable wardrobe includes shopping secondhand and buying from slow fashion brands, but that’s not all.
It means taking care of your clothing, shopping less, shopping local and more.
Read my post slow fashion tips to create a sustainable wardrobe to learn exactly how you can tackle this New Year’s resolution.
19. Buy less stuff this year
Simply buying less stuff is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint and save money.
Decluttering also has benefits to your overall quality of life, making it a great sustainable New Year’s resolution to add to your list.
This is an easy and pretty straightforward New Year’s resolution as well. Before you buy something, just ask yourself if you really need it, and only buy things that you love.
20. Spend more time in nature
Being in the forest, at the top of a mountain, or in the middle of a lake, whatever your preference is for experiencing nature, do more of it.
Not only does spending time outdoors improve overall happiness, but it’s also a reminder of why you’re adopting these eco-friendly New Year’s resolutions.
Spending time with nature is a great way to say motivated with your goals, and to to continue with the good that you’re doing.
Final Thoughts
Once you’ve decided on your eco-friendly New Year’s resolution goals for the year, how do you stick with them?
Making resolutions for the New Year is something most people do, but a lot of people don’t follow through with them or they quit after some time.
The reason people do this is either because they take on way too much or their resolutions weren’t realistic.
How to Stick to your New Year’s Resolutions
- Write down your goals and make them clear and specific.
- Don’t be so hard on yourself if you mess up once or twice. Just keep pushing!
- Get some of your friends or family to join you with some of your resolutions.
- Start your new eco-friendly habits one at a time to reduce possible overwhelm.
- Keep a journal and track your progress.
- When in doubt, remind yourself why you’re doing this.
- Reward yourself when you reach a milestone!
What eco-friendly lifestyle habits are you adopting in the New Year?
Save these eco-friendly New Years resolutions for future reference!
