10 Green Resolutions for the New Year

Whether you’re just starting out on the journey to a greener life or if you’re already pretty crunchy, there’s probably something on here that you haven’t yet incorporated into your lifestyle. Get your year off to a green start with one of these eco-friendly resolutions.

1. Recycle your Christmas tree and old holiday lights.

   Many cities offer curbside recycling the few weeks after Christmas, so that’s easy peasy. Check out these other ways to recycle a Christmas tree. You can also recycle your broken or outdated Christmas lights (and sometimes receive coupons for new LED lights) through several organizations.

2. Stay up to date on environmental issues.

   Subscribe to or check out these news sites.

   1. Environmental News Network
   2. The Daily Climate (for climate change news)
   3. The Guardian
   4. Mother Nature Network

3. Compost your food scraps.

   The average American tosses about 20 pounds of food per month (source). Composting your organic waste instead is a great way to reduce the load to the landfill while creating quality fertilizer for you garden.

4. Take an eco-friendly vacation this year.

   Start with one of these 5 nature vacations or simply follow these tips for planning a trip that leaves a lighter footprint.

5. Stop using lawn chemicals.

   According to the Sierra Club, lawns cover 40,000 square miles of our country and are maintained with nearly 100 million pounds of pesticides annually. Those pesticides leach into our local waters and affect our kids and pets. Here are some tips for a greener, safer lawn.

6. Use only cold water in your washing machine. Come summer, hang your clothes to dry outside.

   Cold water saves energy and money since about 75% of a laundry load’s energy goes into heating the water. It can also make your clothes last longer (since heat affects shrinkage) with less worries about your colors bleeding onto your whites.

7. Put an end to junk mail.

   It only takes a few minutes online to remove your address from various junk mail and catalog lists. Besides saving money and trees, eliminating junk mail can give you back eight months of your life.

8. Join the Meatless Monday movement.

   Going vegetarian just one day per week offers loads of benefits. For your health, you can reduce your risk of cancer, heart disease, diabetes and obesity. For the planet, you reduce greenhouse gases, fuel dependence and water consumption. Plus, you just might open your palate to a whole new world of flavors.

9. Switch to green household cleaners.

   Since we spend about 90% of our lives indoors, it makes sense to care about what we’re spraying in our homes. Many chemical cleaners have been linked to environmental pollution as well as allergies, asthma and other health problems. You can invest in a brand of eco-friendly products or make your own green cleaners with basic household ingredients.

10. Volunteer for an environmental project in your community.

    Get in touch with your local environmental organizations to find volunteer opportunities in your area. From shoreline and park cleanups to wildlife monitoring and farmers market assistance, you’ll learn something new and feel better about doing good in your community.