Green New Year's Resolutions for 2015!

The new year is all about new beginnings. It's a great time to put the old habits of the past behind you and adapt a more earth conscious lifestyle. These resolutions are a great way to make 2015  healthy, eco-friendly and fun!

 

1) Eat Green: When possible, eat locally grown and organic fruits, vegetables and meats. We love EatWellGuide.org to find sustainable food in your area. 

2) Recycle: Make sure you have a recycling bin in your home. Keep it in an obvious place so you won't forget to use it. Contact your trash company and find out their rules on sorting your recyclables.

 

3) Choose Eco-Friendly Lighting: When your older incandescent light bulbs burn out, make the switch to compact fluorescent light bulbs. These bulbs are better for the environment and by changing just one bulb you can save between $30 and $80 in electricity costs over the lifetime of the bulb. Saving money and saving the planet!

4) Meatless Mondays: Commit to eating vegetarian on Mondays to benefit your health and the health of the planet. If over the course of a year you ate one less burger a week, it would be the equivalent of taking your car off the road for 320 miles. We love the website Happy Cow because you can find local restaurants with vegetarian options! 

5) Buy Less Bottled Water: Approximately 60 million plastic water bottles are used every day in the United States, so we can assume that nearly 18,834,000,000 end up in the landfill each year. Each bottle can take up to 700 years to decompose. Ditch the plastic water bottles and make the switch to a reusable, eco-friendly alternative. This reusable glass water bottle by Full Circle is perfect for refreshing lemon water on the go. Dishwasher safe too!

6) Use Reusable Shopping Bags: The U.S. goes through 100 billion plastic shopping bags annually and these bags pollute our oceans and harm wildlife. Switching to reusable shopping bags can eliminate thousands of plastic bags. We love the My ECO Shopping Bag Set because it is made from recycled materials and has a variety of sizes to fit all your shopping needs. 

7) Disposable Dinnerware: Say goodbye to paper plates and say hello to eco-friendly, disposable dinnerware. Leafware gives us beautiful disposable and compostable dinnerware that is perfect for any occasion. The Value Pack is perfect for family gatherings and dinner parties. 

8) Ditch your Paper Towels: Commit to a Paperless Kitchen for 2015! With the Bambooee Perforated Bamboo Towels you can skip the ordinary paper towels for this eco-friendly, reusable alternative. Made from certified organic bamboo, a sustainable source, the Bambooee Towels are strong, absorbent and durable.

 

9) Ride your Bike: It's good for your health and good for the environment! Riding your bike to work, school or the grocery store can really make a difference for you and the planet. You will save on gas and energy costs, reduce pollution and your carbon footprint and get some much needed exercise! Looking for someone to ride with? Try bike.meetup.com to connect with people in your community! 

 

10) Ditch Harmful Cleaners: Make the switch to eco-friendly, homemade cleaning solutions!  Did you know that some store bought cleaners contain toxic ingredients that are harmful to you and the environment? We love this Casabella Spray Bottle because it is perfect for mixing your own chemical-free household cleaners. This convenient spray bottle comes with non-toxic household cleanser recipes print directly on the bottle for easy reference. Pledge to make the switch to non-toxic cleaners in 2015!