Believe it or not, it is already time to ring in a new year! In this feature, we present to you a list of ten greener new year resolutions that you can implement in your own life in 2022. Going into our junior year of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is more important than ever to take care of ourselves and our environment. Learn how to effectively recycle leftover food and single use plastics with tips on composting and how to recycle right. Additionally, find ways to reduce your carbon and food footprint with an online calculator from The Nature Conservancy. Ultimately, within this list, you can expect a variety of greener solutions with our own recommendations of resources and eco-friendly products to set you up for a year of success.

Recycle Right

Greener Solution: More and more people and companies have begun to recycle, but are we recycling right? This new year find out how to effectively recycle your electronics and single use plastics with services in your area.

Recommendations: Earth911 originated in Arizona and has grown into the nation's largest recycling database. The website shares insights on how to measure the carbon footprint of products, services, and lifestyles and change it for the better. Earth911 is a free service that finds recycling hubs in your area. The website also has articles on eco-living, the best eco-friendly products to buy, home and garden ideas, eco tech and business.

Meal Preparation

Greener Solution: Planning for a busy new year? Make sure your food works as hard as you do. Preparing for the week reduces your stress and ensures that no food goes to waste. Also, if you package your fruits and veggies right, you can decrease the time before its expiration date.

Recommendations: We recommend trying the reusable plastic wrap from Bee Kind. Their beeswax wraps are the reusable and biodegradable version of plastic wrap, plus they come in fun prints and vegan options. Another alternative is Stasher bags, which are made from platinum silicone and meant to replace single-use Ziploc bags. Stasher has passed all U.S., Canadian, and European Union food safety standards making it totally usable for you and your family’s lunches. Finally, we recommend the reusable produce bags from Colony Co. The bags are made from organic cotton mesh and meant to be used as an alternative while shopping for produce.

Volunteer Within Your Community

Greener Solution: After a tumultuous last couple years, our local community needs our support to build back, hopefully better and greener than ever. Volunteering is a great way to have a hand in the progress, meet new friends, and develop new interests.

Recommendations: VolunteerMatch creates a free digital infrastructure to connect local volunteers and nonprofits to each other. Simply type your zip code into their database to start connecting to local opportunities. VolunteerMatch services are completely free for volunteers. The nonprofit organization is based out of Oakland, CA and has had a hand in connecting thousands of volunteers to opportunities since its inception in 1998.

Plant A Garden

Greener Solution: When planting a garden, it is important to give more than you take. Growing your own fruits and vegetables will benefit your body and mind, but it would also be a good idea to plant flowers and herbs to benefit the soil and environment the garden is in.

Recommendations: Our team at Jejune recommends ordering seeds from Eden Brothers, as they have a great selection of seed packs to choose from. You can order flower, wildflower, vegetable, herb, heirloom, organic, flower bulbs and perennial seed packs right to your door. You can also order a variety of seeds and gardening supplies from Burpee, an online seeds and plants store founded in Bucks County, Pennsylvania in 1876. Known as an innovator in their sector, Burpee introduced the original ‘Iceberg’ lettuce in 1894. Our final recommendation would be investing in some gardening tools from Gardener’s Supply Company, as they have a large selection of indoor and outdoor tools.

Reduce Your Carbon Footprint

Greener Solution: The Nature Conservancy defines a carbon footprint as the total amount of greenhouse gases (including carbon dioxide and methane) that are generated by our actions. Small changes can be implemented in our lives to reduce our personal carbon footprints. Ultimately, it is important to be mindful in our daily lives.

Recommendations: You can calculate your own carbon footprint through The Nature Conservancy website to find tangible ways to reduce your own impact. Something that we could all do is invest in an Advanced Power Strip, which prevents unnecessary power drain for devices that are not in use. This helps you save both money and energy. Next swatch out those single use plastic bags at the mall and grocery stores for these fun reusable bags from Baggu. The use of single use plastic bags add to the release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, and sets back our climate change progress. Additionally, use less of your dryer and try hang drying your clothes on Bamboo drying racks, which can be found at your local houseware retail stores. A helpful reminder, the small changes can still make a bigger impact.

Exercise

Greener Solution: Although it may seem like the age old resolution, regular exercise does a lot of good for your mental and overall well being. Exercise sustainably by finding equipment that also benefits the environment. Or invest in yourself and your community by buying a membership at your local small business gym.

Recommendations: For eco-friendly home exercise equipment check out Yoloha Yoga for cork yoga mats and other accessories. According to their brand website, cork trees are the only trees in the world that regenerate their stripped bark, therefore, there is an abundance of its natural resources. If you are looking to really put together a home gym, this treadmill from Performance Health is non-motorized and energy efficient, and you can place it anywhere in your home without needing to plug it in! The curved manual treadmill allows you to go at your own pace and distance. Then, to find a sustainable workout routine, check out Obe Fitness for a variety of classes that will fit within your busy schedule. Also, look out for the new APP United World Studios, which will help connect you to online fitness classes across the globe in the new year!

Reduce Your Meat Consumption with Meatless Mondays

Greener Solution: Making Meatless Mondays a staple in your schedule helps reduce your personal carbon footprint and offers numerous health benefits. Calculate your food footprint and find better ways to reduce it with our recommendations below.

Recommendations: The Nature Conservancy’s programs and initiatives work to address climate change and biodiversity loss. They use evidence-based science, technology and innovation to tackle these issues. Calculate your carbon and/or food footprint through their database. The service is free and also gives general tips on how to reduce your impact. EatLowCarbon is also an informational and interactive website that provides ways to reduce your “carbon foodprint.” The site offers diet tips, food scores, and a quiz to test your knowledge on what foods are more planet-friendly.

Create a Home Composting System

Greener Solution: According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, compost is created by combining organic waste such as wasted food, yard trimmings, manures, and other bulking items such as wood chips, into piles, rows, or vessels. The process benefits the environment by keeping the waste out of landfills and eliminates the need for chemical fertilizers (EPA, 2021).

Recommendations: Start composting at home with Bamboozle Homewares Composter Bundle. The bundle includes a compost bin, a year's worth of charcoal filters, a set of 50 biodegradable liner bags, and a sampler of Kenkashi hemp kenaf. Have a bigger yard? Try the IM4000 Dual Chamber Tumbling Composter from FCMP Outdoor. The bin has a dual-chamber, which allows for quicker curing of your kitchen and yard waste into compost for your soil. The body is made from recycled, UV-inhibited, BPA free polypropylene, adding to its eco-friendliness. Make sure to save some newspaper and cardboard to add to your compost in order to add carbon into the compost and maintain moisture levels.

Upcycle Items Around the Home

Greener Solution: Find ways to upcycle things around the home before deciding to throw them out. That old shirt can be a good rag for cleaning, and old mason jars or glasses can be used as decoration. Ultimately, there are a lot of things that can be repurposed with a little bit of creativity and guidance.

Recommendations: Upcycle That is a website that works to bring upcycling ideas to consumers across the globe. The UpcycleThat website is chock full of upcycling ideas for fabric, glass, metal, paper, and more. They also have a section titled 'Make That' where you can find ideas on what to make with your excess materials. The website was founded by Judy Rom and Jacques Karsten in 2012. Although the upcycling tips on their website are free, they also have an online store where you can buy eco-friendly or handmade products.

From everyone here at Jejune Magazine, we wish you a happy and safe new year. We hope that you were inspired by our list of new year's resolutions and plan to implement them within your own routine.

Welcome 2022 With Greener New Year's Resolutions