So we’re well into January now, how are you getting on with your new year’s resolutions?
I learnt a long time ago not to make huge sweeping, life-changing resolutions, because I NEVER stick to them or complete them and inevitably feel like a total failure!
Instead, I consider what I’d really love to achieve (weight loss/exercise goals/learning a new skill) and use January to think about the small steps I can take that will move me towards that goal. So instead of declaring “I will get super-fit this year!” I simply decide “I will plan to walk with a friend at least once a week” Much more positive and achievable, and a step towards my fitness goal.
We can apply this same method to our zero-waste journeys. Whilst it is very laudable to declare “I will be Plastic-Free in 2022!” it’s bloody hard work and a lot of pressure. What if you get caught short with a thirsty child and have to buy a bottle of water? Are you going to feel awful guilt and like a failure?
Start with one thing. For example “I will take a reusable water bottle to the office with me each day.” You can add to your plastic-free changes step by step, revisiting it monthly perhaps.
Here are ten small, easy eco-friendly steps you could take in 2022:
- Take a reusable water bottle and/or coffee cup to work with you each day.
- Treat yourself to a reusable sandwich bag or lunch box.
- Find your local refill shop and buy one product from them to see if refill shopping could work for you.
- Switch to toilet cleaning bombs rather than a bottled cleaner.
- Buy second-hand clothes.
- Switch to soap bars and/or shampoo bars.
- Switch to toothpaste tablets, or a paste in a jar rather than a plastic tube.
- Make sure you always have your reusable shopping bags in the car for the supermarket shop.
- Buy loose fruit and veg, rather than those in plastic packaging.
- Use compostable cleaning cloths, rather than microfibre ones.
Of course, you can do them all – and more – if you like, but don’t feel that you MUST DO EVERYTHING in order to be a perfect environmentally-friendly human!
I truly believe that any, and all, small actions completed with positivity, kindness and empathy have the power to change the world – whether that is a smile, a favour done for a friend or taking your reusable cup to the coffee shop.
As chef Anne-Marie Bonneau said “We don’t need a handful of people doing zero waste perfectly. We need millions of people doing it imperfectly.”
