10 New Year’s Resolutions that help the planet

As you set your New Year’s resolutions, try to make those that help our planet and the environment. It will affect everyone in a positive way.

It doesn’t have to be difficult either. Simple steps to reduce, reuse and recycle can add up. Often times, many of these changes require little effort and can often save you money.

1. Love aluminum more

Did you know that recycling just one can of aluminum saves enough energy to power a television for three hours? According to the Action Recycling Center in Colorado, the current amount of energy saved in a year by recycling aluminum cans in the United States can illuminate the entire city of Denver for more than 10 years.

Aluminum is infinitely recyclable, making it an ideal container. In fact, about 75% of all aluminum ever produced in the US is still in use today. Aluminum is one of the few materials in the consumer waste stream that more than pays for the costs of their own collection.

“Americans throw away more than $ 700 million worth of aluminum cans every year,” said the Aluminum Association.

Think how much impact it would have if we recycled more cans.

Action Recycling points out that the amount of aluminum Americans discard every three months could rebuild our entire commercial air fleet.

2. Say no to single use plastics

Nobody wants to hate plastic at all. It has its purpose. In many cases it is an essential material.

For example, bicycle helmets, child seats, medical equipment and cell phones are all made with plastic parts. It is the single-use plastics, such as plastic water bottles, straws, and shopping bags, that cause the greatest concern.

Plastic water bottles. Try to use a reusable bottle instead, and only use the single-use bottles in an emergency or when you don’t have access to reusable bottles.
Plastic straws. If you go to a restaurant, tell him you don’t want a straw unless you really need it. This alone can affect the reduction of plastic in our oceans.
Shopping bags. Most stores now sell their own reusable grocery bags, or you can request a paper bag that can be easily recycled or composted. We’ll turn to composting later.

In addition to these options, you can also remove plastic from the ocean from the comfort of your armchair. If you answer a trivia question on the Free the Ocean website, the company is taking a piece of plastic from the ocean.

Advertising on the site funds the cause of actually removing the plastic.

You can go back every day to answer a new question, and you may learn something new in the process.

3. Turn off devices

We all love our devices. They help us when it comes to driving directions, keeping in touch with friends and family and providing the opportunity to work from home.

When you’re not using any appliances or appliances, or you’re not in a room, simply turn off the lights and other electronics.

4. Do not pre-wash dishes

According to Finish brand parent company Reckitt Benckiser, if everyone stopped rinsing dishes before putting them in the dishwasher, America could save 150 billion gallons of water in just one year. How much water is exactly 150 billion?

“That’s about the equivalent of 230,000 Olympic pools,” said Pedram Javaheri, a meteorologist at CNN. ‘Or you would have to shower continuously for 39,800 years to use that much water.’

The company believes in this so strongly that they have started what they call the Skip the Rinse Pledge. The campaign states that for each person who makes the pledge, Finish will donate $ 1 to the Nature Conservancy.

“This is because most dishwashers that cost $ 500 or more and have been sold in the past five years have a sensor that determines how thorough a wash is needed,” explains Consumer Reports of using your dishwasher efficiently. “At the start of the cycle, it rinses the dishes and then checks how dirty the water is to determine the right amount of time and water to get everything clean. dishes as well as reasonably clean. “

This means that pre-washed dishes only get a light wash. So if you have a relatively new dishwasher, let it do its job.

5. Make your home more energy efficient

By simply adjusting your thermostat a few degrees – especially when you’re not at home – you not only reduce your bill, but also energy consumption.

Another tip to make your home more energy-efficient: replace old lamps with more efficient ones.

While it’s a bit more expensive at first, replacing old bulbs will save you money in the long run. Normally, more energy-efficient lights shine brighter, so you don’t have to turn on as many lights. Plus, they last up to five times longer than regular light bulbs, so you don’t have to replace them as often.

Add insulation or double glazing can also make your home more efficient, as your heating and air conditioners need to run less often.

6. If available, choose e-mail receipts

You can reduce paper waste by asking for receipts by email. Many companies now offer email receipts as a secondary paper option, including Apple, Macy’s and Home Depot, just to name a few.

It is also more convenient if you need to return something. How many times have you had to go back to scour paperwork on your desk or your wallet or purse for a receipt to return something? Now you just pull up the email and voila!

Another easy way to cut down on paper waste is to pay your bills online when possible. Not only is this more convenient, some companies even offer automatic payment so you don’t have to set a reminder to pay on time. Make sure the company you’re paying still lists the full bill they would normally send so you can check.

Another way to reduce paper waste is to unsubscribe from junk email. Lots of people don’t like junk email anyway.

The Federal Trade Commission provides information on how to get yourself removed from the lists on their website.

Plant a garden

A big advantage of planting a garden is that size doesn’t matter.

You can create a giant garden bed full of fruits and vegetables in your backyard, or you can have just a few small potted plants in the house. Either way, you benefit from the environment in multiple ways.

For starters, every time you plant a tree, flower, shrub or a houseplant in a pot in your home, add a natural resource that carbon and produces oxygen.

Landscaping a garden allows you to grow some of your own fruit and vegetables instead of buying produce and that also reduces your overall carbon footprint.

8. Change your coffee filters and coffee pads

Coffee drinkers enjoy this daily ritual. But it also means that waste is collected every day.

By simply replacing your coffee filters or disposable coffee cups or pads with more durable or reusable ones, you can help reduce minor waste.

9. Consider alternatives to gift wrapping

Some gift wrapping paper is recyclable if it does not contain foil or glitter or other such additives that interfere with the recycling process. But there are so many other alternatives to gift wrapping.

Natural baskets are a great alternative, not only because they are beautiful, but they are also easy to carry when you are gifting heavier items.

Fabric scraps and old scarves are lovely alternatives and can add a bit of padding to more delicate gifts as well.

However, if you prefer the more traditional look of paper, try paper grocery bags, tissue papers, old calendar pages, or even newspapers. Not a fan of the black and white look of a newspaper? Comics work.

10. Make a home compost bin

Banana skins, eggshells, apple cores, coffee grounds and vegetable waste usually end up in the trash. But leftovers can also be recycled into black gold or free compost for your garden.

Composting reduces the amount of waste that ends up in a landfill. It also provides nutrient-rich soil that can be used later in and around your home.

The biggest deterrent for many when composting is the smell. If you have the space, move the composter outside. Also, when collecting the compost in your home, use a container with a lid or seal to keep your kitchen from smelling until you can place the items in your composter.

If you don’t have room to compost in your space, try contacting a compost collection service in your area, such as CompostNow. These services collect your compost – for a fee – with a chance to earn compost later.

CNN meteorologist Haley Brink contributed to this story.

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