Around 4000 years ago, the Ancient Babylonians set New Year Pledges. Over the years they were renamed resolutions, but the main thing is, we’ve been making them ever since and apparently they’re a good thing to do!
So we’re giving you our top 10 sustainable resolutions below… but first:
why are they worth making?
- Resolutions are ways of setting intentions. And intentions are exactly what we need to focus our efforts into making positive changes!
- They give us hope. That things can be better and more along the lines of how we want them,
- Many of the changes we may make can positively impact others or our surroundings.
- Leading by example can inspire others around us to also make positive changes.
and do resolutions work?
We may start with good intentions… but do New Year’s Resolutions last?
One study* found 11% of us unfortunately don’t even last the whole month of January. Perhaps that’s why the second Friday of Jan is commonly called “Quitter’s Day”.
But with 44% of us stating that we are likely or very likely to make a resolution for the upcoming year, we think it’s time for a resolution revolution. How about EASY, EFFECTIVE, ECO resolutions that are easy to start, easy to stick to and make a big difference? You’re welcome….
top 10 easy, sustainable New Year's Resolutions.
1. choose to reuse.
You’ll save resources, reduce waste and cause less pollution than recycling. Our multi purpose and bathroom spray bottles-for-life are a great way to reuse. Why buy countless new single-use plastic cleaning bottles each time you run out of cleaning solutions? Just keep the same bottle, reuse it forever and refill it at home with some water and our tiny refill tablets!
2. start a compost.
If you’ve got a garden, turn your kitchen waste into free plant food with a compost heap. You’ll reduce the need for fertilizers, prevent soil erosion, conserve water and help your plants grow! For an easy step by step guide to starting a compost, click here.
3. sell or donate clothing.
Around 1.2m tonnes of textiles go to UK landfill each year and the average item of clothing is only worn 10 times before being discarded. How can you avoid adding to the problem? Resell your clothes, take them to a charity shop, put them into recycling points and don’t buy MORE items unless you really need them.
4. turn off lights.
Hitting that switch when you leave a room could save you a few pounds on your energy bills but even better is swapping your old bulbs out for energy efficient bulbs. In addition… every watt of energy saved means a cut in the carbon you are releasing into the environment.
5. get a water butt.
Rainwater is free, so firstly, it’ll save you money! Outdoor water accounts for up to 50% of our water use on a hot Summer's day so if you’re on a water meter, this could make a huge difference to your bills. If every UK home collected one water butt’s worth of water a year (160 litres), we’d save four billion litres nationwide. And that’s great for the environment.
6. turn thermostats down.
Turning your central heating down by 1°C makes a big difference to the amount of energy you use and that makes your carbon footprint much smaller. You won’t notice the difference in the warmth of your home and it could cut your bills by up to 10%.**
7. limit water use.
Water needs managing to prevent shortages. Not running the tap as we brush our teeth, taking shorter showers, using a hippo bag in the toilet cistern - all helps. But how about not washing your clothes until you’ve got enough for a full load? Half loads use nearly the same amount of water as full loads so save up your laundry until you have a decent amount.
8. avoid the tumble.
Tumble dryers use a LOT of energy which means higher carbon footprints and bigger energy bills. But there are other ways to dry laundry indoors without using a tumble dryer, even during the winter. Why not investigate heated airers, dehumidifiers and fans?
9. purge plastic.
It’s an ongoing battle because plastic is everywhere but there are more and more answers to the problem. smol laundry capsules and dishwasher tablets come in cardboard boxes and our fantastic personal care range helps you ditch SO MUCH plastic from your bathroom in one go. It’s the easiest plastic purge you’ll do this year!
10. meat-free mondays.
Yes smol products are vegan, but we appreciate that’s not how everyone chooses to eat HOWEVER, how about adopting meat-free mondays? Skipping one serving of beef every Monday for a year saves the equivalent emissions to driving 348 miles in a car.*** A pretty easy step to cut your footprint.
smol things make a big difference.
Our top 10 sustainable revolutionary resolutions are simple to make, easy to keep and quick to see results. And remember, if you want to dip your toe into the world of more sustainable cleaning for your home, you can’t get better than smol.
Head over to our FREE TRIALS and start your New Year off with the easiest eco swap there is.
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*2020 New Plate/Ipsos
**WWF 2023
***meatless campaigns.org. 2023
