With 2020 just around the corner, we’re thinking about our new year resolutions. This year, we suggest you think about changing some of your daily habits to have a more positive impact on the planet. We gave some easy to implement, simple sustainable ideas that you can apply on a day-to-day basis. We also included products and brands that can help you integrate them more seamlessly. Here’s to a more sustainable 2020!

STOP

There are many things we do daily that wreak havoc on the planet. We wanted to share some of the worst offenders and what you can do instead.

1. Buying water plastic bottles 

  • Drink water from the tap (use a filter if you don’t like the water’s taste)
  • Use reusable bottles to take everywhere you go (ex 24 Bottles, Swell)
  • Use a machine to transform tap water into sparkling water (ex Soda Stream)

2. Using chemical products to clean your house

3. Buying new clothes because your current clothes aren’t ‘trendy’ enough

  • Buy only if you really need an item and choose carefully
  • Buy vintage, secondhand or sustainable clothing (ex Pact, Nobody Denim, Knickey, Patagonia, Allbirds)
  • Exchange clothes with your friends
  • Fix or customize your old clothes

4. Accepting plastic straws, bags, cutlery and receipts

  • Opt for glass straws (ex Simply Straws), tote bags, and reusable cutlery (ex Packaging Free)
  • Ask companies if you can have the receipt emailed to you instead of printed

5. Buying single-use bath and beauty products

  • Buy sustainable shampoo/soap bottles and refill them (ex Plaine Products)
  • Buy eco-friendly toothpaste (ex Bite)

START

Here’s some easy to implement new sustainable habits that you can incorporate.

1. Reusing plastic / paper bags for shopping

  • Use bags that you already have and reuse them
  • Tote bags

2. Creating a vegetable garden

  • In your garden, balcony or terrace

3. Customizing old furniture

  • Furniture you already have
  • Buy old furniture in second-hand markets

4. Re-thinking your household energy consumption

  • Installing solar panels, turning off lights electronics & unplugging them, shortening your showers, collecting rainwater, saving-water tap (ex Altered)

5. Volunteering for your community

  • Food banks, donations

6. Using your car less

  • For short distances use a bike or walk
  • Take public transports like trains, buses or city-bikes
  • Long distances use car-sharing (ex blaBlaCar, Car2go,UberPool )
  • If you need a new car, opt for an electric or hybrid one 
  • Have only one car per household to limit use and cars on the road

7. Eating seasonal and local products

8. Share low-use products with your neighbors, family and friends

  • Kitchen devices like mixers, panini grills etc.
  • Garden machines like lawnmowers, leaf blowers etc.

9. Recycling and composting everything you can

  • Check out CET for advice

10. Learning more about sustainable topics and things that are already done in your city

11. Taking initiatives at work

  • Using the fridge for food sharing 
  • Reusable cutlery (ex Bambu)
  • Drinkable water fountain

Now that you have some tips to start the new year with more eco-friendly habits, it’s time to act. Remember, you don’t have to change all your habits at once. Start with the ones that seem easiest for you and you’ll see the others will come more naturally.

Do you have more ideas to live more sustainably? Share them with us in the comments below!

Check out our blog post “6 Easy Eco-Friendly Swaps You Can Do Today” for more inspiration!