Planning for Sustainability
It’s a brand new year, and if your new year’s resolution is to live more sustainably, we’ve got you covered. If your resolution is to just survive, we also have you covered. Today’s Waste Not Wednesday is full of tips on how to make a plan for success in sustainability and beyond!
When it comes to our day-to-day individual choices on avoiding waste, one way to plan ahead is to stash multiple reusable items in more than one place and cycle through them. If you have trouble remembering your reusable bags or coffee cup because you only have one that you forget in the washer during the next time you are out, try keeping two and rotating them in and out of the house/car instead. Collapsible bags or cups can also be easily stashed in multiples in a glove compartment or purse or on a keychain, without taking up too much space or effort.
Besides our daily choices, making and using a checklist for long-term goals or seasonal sustainable efforts can help you stay organized with less stress. Maybe you would like to start a garden this year or participate in a local clean-up effort. Allowing yourself some time to research the actionable steps and materials needed will empower you to lay the groundwork (literally in the case of a garden) for maximum results when the time comes! It will also help you see what time and energy you actually have in order to prevent overcommitting (and that’s okay!)
Lastly, when it comes to the actual planning, there are some great tools out there to help you plan with minimal paper waste. If your paper planner is a thing of beauty, lovingly and artistically crafted, then we respect that art and celebrate it! If, however, you aren’t partial to your washi tape and gel pens, we would recommend switching to cloud-based apps or using a reusable planner. Reusable planners allow you to write with erasable pens, scan your notes into an app online, then erase and reuse again and again (the brand we use and like is called Rocketbook). It’s less paper waste, less mess, and less stress!
Even if your plan for this year is to stick to one small change, write it down and check in periodically on your progress. Just by regularly setting your mind on something, you are more likely to stick to it and see positive results, or if not, be able to see what’s stopping you and try a different way that works for you. Here’s to a great new year!