Five sustainable New Year's resolutions

You had a great New Year's Eve, January has already begun, and the new year is ahead of us. Have you already made any New Year's resolutions? Today, I want to give you a few ideas on how to easily set sustainable New Year's resolutions and actually achieve them!

 

Of course, I also have a few ideas that you can add to your list and implement step by step. Instructions on how to best achieve them will follow at the end.

 

Let’s go! 

 

 A good point for one of your New Year's resolutions is the issue of electricity waste. We Germans waste huge amounts of electricity. Approximately 18 million tons of unnecessary CO2 emissions are caused by this. By you and me! You can put an end to this through simple actions and not only do something for the environment but also for your wallet. 

 

💡 An enormous sum comes from plugged-in devices alone. Even in standby mode! If you no longer need your devices, unplug them! This way you save electricity and also avoid a possible fire hazard from your electrical appliances.

 

💡How effective are the devices you use? Whether household appliances or electronic devices, the energy efficiency label shows you whether you are using unnecessary power guzzlers! You've probably come across the designations "A+", "A++", or "A+++". Time to pay a little more attention to them. By the way: As of March 2021, there will be a change here! You can get all the information from the consumer advice center.

 

💡Are you sensitive to the cold? Space heaters are comfortable – but not energy-saving! Have you ever considered programmable heating thermostats? You're not at home all day, but you'd like it to be nice and warm when you get home from work? That doesn't mean you have to leave the heating on all day. With thermostats, you have the option of programming individual radiators differently. The cost is approximately 30-100 Euros depending on the type of thermostat.
 

Fast Fashion is on everyone's lips and has become quite disreputable. Time for a New Year's resolution regarding your wardrobe. It has long since ceased to be "cool" to shop for the cheapest possible clothes. Before you even think about buying new clothes, ask yourself for each item of clothing: do I really need this?

 

What else you can do:

Shop more Second Hand 👋! If Corona permits, of course, in the local store next door. There are now great Second Hand stores in so many areas. Alternatively, you can, of course, also buy your favorite item online - whether it's a designer piece or an H&M sweater. Perhaps you will find what you are looking for on one of the following sites?

 

 

Swap clothes with friends, and when buying new clothes, pay attention to fair fashion labels and high-quality materials. There is now a huge range of truly beautiful and sustainable fashion. The dusty image of fair fashion is long gone.

Not only with clothing, but also with entertainment, you can focus on sustainability. Medimops, for example, is a great place to go if you want to buy used books, movies, music, or games, or easily pass on your own treasures. With a huge selection of verified second-hand items and a practical app for on the go, it's ideal for all ocean heroes who want to browse, save, and at the same time conserve resources.

 

🛒 How about going without meat and animal products for a while? Vegan participation campaigns are constantly available on common social media platforms, for example, I recently saw one at "veganistungesund" on Instagram. 

 

🛒 Make sure to use the groceries you buy and not throw them away unnecessarily. Only buy what you really need, and ideally never go shopping hungry! It's best to think beforehand about what you really need, make a list, and then shop according to the list. This way, only what will actually be used ends up in your shopping cart.

 

🛒 Even from "leftovers" in your fridge, you can often conjure up surprisingly great dishes. Get creative!

 

🛒 When shopping, pay attention to seasonal and regional products. There are calendars that show you, for example, what is in season each month. We particularly liked the calendar from Pia Kraftfutter. One look and you'll know exactly what should be on your shopping list for the respective season.

  

🚘 Get your bike out or walk – it doesn't always have to be the car! Often the bike routes are much nicer and you get a breath of fresh air and physical activity included.

 

🚘 Try to avoid unnecessary trips and plan your day in advance so you can accomplish as much as possible in one trip.

 

🚘 Use public transport like buses or trains and form carpools when possible.

 

 

 

 💸 Even when it comes to finances, you can keep an eye on sustainability. Are you planning to save in 2021? Then switch directly to an ethical bank to invest your money there. Basically, these banks operate exactly like conventional banks, but with one important difference: how they invest your money!

 

   Instead of, for example, supporting arms deals and child labor with your money, ethical banks invest in renewable energies, social projects, or support organic farming.

 

   Furthermore, they are completely transparent about where the money goes! By the way, deposit insurance exists for ethical banks just like for conventional banks. 

     

   Ethical banks include: Die Ethik Bank, GLS Bank, Triodos Bank, or Tomorrow Bank.

 

     You can find a direct comparison of the banks here! 

     

 

  

      🏁 Define clear goals in the form of a number (1 goal per month / 1 goal per week etc.).

 

      🏁 Write them down! Nothing beats handwritten goals! If you're creative, for example, make a goal collage on a large poster and formulate your goals there.

            You can let your creativity flow and make it a bit more beautiful with pictures, colorful pens & Co.

 

      🏁 Also note down the individual steps you need to take to achieve your goals. Alternatively, instead of a goal collage on a poster, you can use a calendar and note these intermediate steps under the individual days.

 

 

      🏁 Reward yourself for achieving intermediate goals! Regularly reflect on how close you've come to your goal and celebrate successes.

  

• New Year's resolution: consume less meat & animal products
• Concrete goal: cook vegan 3 times a week
• Set vegan days (Monday/Wednesday/Friday)
• Done for a week? Cook your favorite dish on Sunday to reward yourself