6 Sustainable New Year's Resolutions

It's well known that New Year's resolutions don't tend to live on for very long, if at all. But the prospect of making yourself a better, healthier, more productive person always excites us. So what is the secret to actually fulfilling a New Year's resolution?

Habit and planning are key to fulfilling your goals. Create a detailed and thorough plan of how you will achieve this, and make sure it gets you into a habit. After achieving my 2019 New Year's Resolution, I realized that there was so much more I was capable of doing if I actually planned beforehand.

I've compiled a list of New Year's Resolutions that promote sustainability - and how to actually achieve them. Pick one that you're passionate about.

Refuse Single-Use Water Bottles

My 2019 New Year's Resolution was to cut out single-use, plastic water bottles from my life. To do this, I bought myself a reusable bottle that I could refill at water fountains. Rather than lazily grabbing plastic bottles out of my fridge, I forced myself to drink out of reusable cups when I was home (i was INCREDIBLY lazy to not do this beforehand). Bring your own cup/bottle with you everywhere, many places will let you .

Take Shorter Showers

This is actually simple and very achievable. Set a time limit for your showers and turn an alarm on. Most dermatologists recommend a shower should be up to 15 minutes long. Keep yourself on this schedule. By doing this, you're saving clean water - and you're making your water bill cheaper!

Cut Out Single-Use Straws

Reusable straws just recently blew up in pop culture this year, and it's definitely raised awareness of how much waste we each individually produce. Refuse straws from restaurants and fast-food places. If a sit-down restaurant leaves plastic straws on a table, let your server know you do not need them. If you're someone who still likes to use straws, invest in metal or bamboo reusable straws. Bring your reusable straws with you in your bag or purse in case you need them while you're out.

Meatless Mondays

If you're not already vegetarian or vegan, making a large diet change can be very difficult, expensive, or even unachievable. Meatless Mondays are an opportunity to reduce your carbon emissions one day a week. Make one day a week entirely vegetarian (perhaps Monday), and stick to it. If you accidentally have meat on your scheduled day, pick another day in the week as a backup. The overall goal is to have at least 1 vegetarian day.

Make Periods Less Wasteful

I cannot even imagine how much sanitary product waste I have accumulated over my life. This New Year's Resolution can be a life changer if you can afford it. Invest in a menstrual cup and cut out tampons and pads from your life. Menstrual cups are reusable and come in different sizes. Keeping one in your purse or bag is easy. If menstrual cups make you uncomfortable, buy (or DIY) reusable pads and period underwear. This will also save you a lot of money in the long run!

Refuse Plastic Grocery Bags

Buy a few reusable, cloth bags. Keep reusable bags in your car or purse. If you know you're going shopping, make it a habit to bring your reusable bags! If you only bought a few items, let the cashier know you don't need the bag.