10 Eco New Year’s Resolutions

We’re fast approaching the time of year when we pledge New Year’s resolutions that we never intend to keep. Eating less chocolate, drinking less booze, boycotting Love Island, these are all honourable endeavours; admittedly the latter in particular might help save the planet.

However I put it to you, my loyal follower, that instead of chucking reality TV, we should take a leaf out of The Great Gonzo’s book, A Christmas Carol.

If we can learn from our past, present and what’s yet to come, we can make a better tomorrow for all. With a bit of luck, one day I might even find myself finishing a festive post with the words “.. and the Polar Bears… who did not die…” 

With that in mind, I humbly present for your consideration: 10 Eco New Year’s Resolutions that are very achievable…

1. Switch Your Search Engine To Ecosia

This little gem takes the least amount of effort of all – you can stay beached on your sofa and still do your bit for the environment. Ecosia are the eco-alternative to google, bing and… those other search engines no one cares about (RIP Jeeves).

They offer exactly the same service but importantly, they use the profits made from your searches and the accompanying ads to plant trees! That’s right – the more you search, the more trees you plant – how’s that for a home run!? They even keep a running total so you can see exactly how big a difference your tireless hunt for cat videos is making.

Still not impressed? Try this out for size: unlike other search engines, they won’t store your personal data. So you can search for My Little Pony cosplay and pimple popping clips til you heart’s content. The only judgement you need face is your own (and mine, yer weirdo). All it takes is a quick download of their browser extension and you’re away! 

2. Switch To A Bamboo Toothbrush

Ditch your old plastic enamel polisher for a shiny, new, almost entirely biodegradable toothbrush. Bamboo toothbrushes have come a long way in recent years and, speaking from personal experience, they’re just as effective as their plastic brethren.

Currently, just under five billion plastic toothbrushes are made each year. Five billion. Just imagine what a difference it would make if we all switched to brushes that didn’t end up in the environment for thousands of years.

Aside from the environmental benefits of using a bamboo brush, there are many personal pros too. For example bamboo has naturally occurring anti-bacterial properties, so a ‘boo brush is more hygienic than your traditional plastic piece.

Likewise, many bamboo brushes have charcoal-infused bristles and charcoal has active tooth whitening properties! So the real question is why wouldn’t you switch?

If you’re still not convinced, I recommend giving this brilliant article a glance. The writer explores ‘boo brushes in greater depth, providing recommendations and tips and is generally just an excellent person…

3. Buy A Bamboo Keep Cup

Yes, in the immortal words of Mr Bumble, “MORE” bamboo!? You’re damn right more!

In the UK alone only 1 in 20 single-use coffee cups is recycled. Many of us buy at least three take away coffees a week. That’s 156 coffees a year of which only 8 cups will be recycled.

The remaining 148 will end up in landfill, the ocean or are burned and thus released into the atmosphere. Regrettably that even includes those that say “100% Biodegradable” on the lid.

Now, while plastic reusable cups are an improvement on multiple single-use vessels, they are still plastic and will eventually end up in the same place. So how’s this for a New Year’s resolution: I challenge you to purchase a bamboo coffee cup and go an entire year without using a single-use one.

Upon receiving my cup two years ago, I took on the same challenge and haven’t used a single-use cup since. Once you have one it becomes part of your routine, like popping your laptop or makeup in your bag. I can recommend “Happy Earth” which is the company behind my cup but you can find them anywhere really.

So go ahead and purchase one! Then you can join me in feeling superior towards those who still use single-use cups. *Shakes fist*

4. Switch To Eco-friendly Washing Detergents

For a long time eco-friendly products priced people out of purchase. However recently this backward element of society is slowly starting to reverse. More on that later though.

Every time we use our washing machines or dishwashers, we are releasing unfriendly chemicals into the environment. Yes our run off passes through water treatment plants but they can’t remove everything; inevitably chemicals start to build up in the environment.

With that in mind, if you’d like to wash your clothes and conscience clean at the same time, you can invest in eco-friendly detergents. Companies such as SMOL have devised methods to lower chemical levels in their products while maintaining the same high standard of wash.

What’s more, they’ll deliver to your door in sustainable packaging every month and offer a free trial to begin with. If you’re suitably impressed, you can then get 24 capsules for just £4.50. Adding a cherry on top, their products are strictly zero animal testing. Can’t ask for more than that!

5. Buy Your Produce Loose

In current climes this one can be quite difficult as many of us have understandably taken to ordering deliveries or pre-shopped collections to avoid public spaces. However, when the blessed time comes that we return to make our own shopping round (who knew choosing an aubergine could be such an exciting prospect!?) collecting your produce plastic free is a great way to make a difference. 

With that in mind it’s an exciting time to jump on the loose vege bandwagon.

Supermarket giants are finally starting to recognise the need to reduce their environmental footprint and ours. In fact this year Asda launched their first trial sustainability store in the UK.

If it proves a success, we’ll hopefully see refill stations for things like pasta, rice and cereals become common place. Waitrose have even introduced refill stations for wine and beer! We’ll all be drunk but at least the planet’ll be healthy!

6. Walk Or Cycle For Short Journeys

Let’s face it, during lockdown many of us have given in to our inner slob but come 2021 (all being well) we’re set to reintegrate into society. So let’s make it a healthier, happier one.

Small gestures like walking or cycling to your corner shop instead of jumping in the car can make a world of difference. Not only can such exercise aid your health but it will also reduce the size of your carbon footprint. That’s something we all need to think about. 

In the UK, 60% of journeys between 1-2 miles in length are made in a motor vehicle. Just imagine the drop in emissions if we all take to foot for our morning paper. 

7. Chuck A Bee Bomb In Your Garden

It’s no secret that our pollinating insects are on the decline. Urbanisation, destruction of habitat, pesticides and climate change are threatening these tiny giants of the natural world like never before.

It’s an issue compounded by the reliance on them of millions of other species, including ourselves, to survive. Pollinating insects provide us with over three quarters of the food crops we eat. Without them, there’s no us.

One thing you can do to help is lob a bee bomb in your garden. We need to re-wild sections of our green spaces and bee bombs, a collection of wild flower seeds wrapped in compost, are a great way to do it with minimal effort. All you need do is to take your bomb and toss it onto a spare patch of land! Soon perennial beauties will sprout up from the ground and insects will flock to your garden. 

8. Add Some Water To Your Garden

Yup, as documented in my award winning post “How To Build A Pond And Alienate People”, adding water to your garden is the best thing you can do to support wildlife in your garden.

From the moment you install a pond, or even a bin lid full of water, an entirely new ecosystem will move in. Amphibians and aquatic insects will make a home in and around the water, pollinators will visit the aquatic plants you grow and birds will use your pond to wash, drink and hunt.

You might even find hedgehogs don their trunks for a few lengths!

9. Get Some More Vege In Your Diet

This seems to be a concept that many people struggle with, even seeing it as a point of pride – “I’m a meat eater!” etc. Aside from the obvious euphemistic connotations of such statements, lovers of sausage and breast alike need to shift the ratio of food they eat in favour of plants.

That isn’t to say stop having your Saturday night sausage roll (if it keeps your marriage healthy), rather change your approach so that it isn’t such a mainstay in your diet.

It’s estimated that 3/4s of all meals eaten in the UK contain meat of some kind. If we are to beat Climate Change we all need to do our bit in reducing that.

So why not try cutting your meat consumption down gradually this year? I’ve been reducing meat consumption with my family for several months and it’s easier than you might think. You can still have all the same meals, just swap the meat out for some lovely quorn chunks, sweet potato, beans or lentils. The possibilities are endless!

10. Switch To A Greener Energy Provider

We all know that if we’re going to have a healthier future we need to rapidly reduce our green house gas emissions.

Unfortunately, our society was built on the back of fossil fuels and so we need to make the move to cleaner energy sources ASAP. Happily, there are some energy companies that are taking notice…

Pure Planet are a newly established, green energy company in the UK. Despite their young age, they recently rated 3 out of 35 on Which? Magazine’s annual, public, energy companies satisfaction survey.

On top of that, renewable energy is becoming more efficient by the day and wind and solar energy are now the cheapest source of all including fossil fuels and nuclear.

With Pure Planet claiming almost entirely renewable energy sources and other young companies such as Octopus Energy entering the market to promote renewables as standard, you might want to make switching a top resolution for 2021!

God Bless Us, Every One

Well that’s about that. Hopefully you’ve found a few useful resolutions here – I’d love to hear from you if any of them stick… if not then… get stuffed! Now all that’s left to say is Have a Merry Christmas, a Happy New Year and in the immortal words of Cliff Richard:

“Christmas time, mistletoe and eat more vegetables…”