New Year’s Resolutions to Make You (and Your Home) Feel Good
Care for your home and the planet with these simple, eco-friendly ideas that make you feel happy inside
The start of the New Year is a wonderful time for setting fresh goals and challenges, but it’s also important to take stock of your health and happiness. So if you want to make a positive, eco-friendly start to the New Year, check out these easy but effective ways to create a feel-good home for you, your family and the environment.
Swap disposable plastic for something sustainable
Could you swap disposable plastic items for more planet-friendly alternatives? Wooden toothbrushes, for example, are a kinder option for the environment than plastic ones, and wooden nail brushes are a good (and aesthetically pleasing) alternative to cheap plastic ones. Make this the year you say goodbye to throwaway plastic cutlery and plates, too. There are several wooden or bamboo fibre versions available.
Get into the habit of looking for eco-friendly alternatives and, if you can’t find any in your favourite shop, ask at the counter. If everyone did the same, there’d be more chance of your local shop starting to stock them.
Could you swap disposable plastic items for more planet-friendly alternatives? Wooden toothbrushes, for example, are a kinder option for the environment than plastic ones, and wooden nail brushes are a good (and aesthetically pleasing) alternative to cheap plastic ones. Make this the year you say goodbye to throwaway plastic cutlery and plates, too. There are several wooden or bamboo fibre versions available.
Get into the habit of looking for eco-friendly alternatives and, if you can’t find any in your favourite shop, ask at the counter. If everyone did the same, there’d be more chance of your local shop starting to stock them.
Grow bee-friendly flowers
Whether you live in a small urban flat or a spacious country house, there’s always an opportunity to green up the outside of your home, so resolve this year to create an insect and bee-friendly habitat for our little winged friends.
A window box like this one, filled with bee-friendly plants such as lavender or verbena, will create a welcome oasis for all manner of insects, as well as providing colour for passers-by and pleasure for those indoors looking out.
Want to create a bee-friendly garden? Here’s how
Whether you live in a small urban flat or a spacious country house, there’s always an opportunity to green up the outside of your home, so resolve this year to create an insect and bee-friendly habitat for our little winged friends.
A window box like this one, filled with bee-friendly plants such as lavender or verbena, will create a welcome oasis for all manner of insects, as well as providing colour for passers-by and pleasure for those indoors looking out.
Want to create a bee-friendly garden? Here’s how
Ditch handwash for bars of soap
A quick and easy way to polish your halo and boost the feelgood factor at home is to cut down on the number of products you use and the amount of plastic packaging this entails. Swapping liquid handwash for a bar of soap or replacing your bottle of shampoo for a solid shampoo bar are quick wins that help to reduce your consumption of plastic packaging during the year.
Also, take a look inside your bathroom cabinet and ask yourself if you need, or regularly use, all of the lotions and potions inside. Use up anything that’s been lurking at the back of the cupboard and recycle the packaging, or if it’s an unopened product, give it away. Then think twice before filling up the cupboard again with multiples of the same product.
If you hunt around, you might find a shop that will refill your bottles of shower gel rather than you having to buy a new one each time, although, sadly, there are not many of these shops around.
A quick and easy way to polish your halo and boost the feelgood factor at home is to cut down on the number of products you use and the amount of plastic packaging this entails. Swapping liquid handwash for a bar of soap or replacing your bottle of shampoo for a solid shampoo bar are quick wins that help to reduce your consumption of plastic packaging during the year.
Also, take a look inside your bathroom cabinet and ask yourself if you need, or regularly use, all of the lotions and potions inside. Use up anything that’s been lurking at the back of the cupboard and recycle the packaging, or if it’s an unopened product, give it away. Then think twice before filling up the cupboard again with multiples of the same product.
If you hunt around, you might find a shop that will refill your bottles of shower gel rather than you having to buy a new one each time, although, sadly, there are not many of these shops around.
Shop local
Buying local food is an instant way to do your bit for the environment by reducing the air miles it has to travel to reach you. Check the packets of fruit and vegetables at your supermarket and choose the local option. Or, even better, shop at a nearby farm or deli for fresh, seasonal produce.
If that isn’t an option, see if you can get a local produce food box delivered to your door. Many of these come with recipe ideas, too, taking the hassle out of food shopping and meal prepping.
Buying local food is an instant way to do your bit for the environment by reducing the air miles it has to travel to reach you. Check the packets of fruit and vegetables at your supermarket and choose the local option. Or, even better, shop at a nearby farm or deli for fresh, seasonal produce.
If that isn’t an option, see if you can get a local produce food box delivered to your door. Many of these come with recipe ideas, too, taking the hassle out of food shopping and meal prepping.
…or grow your own
Even better (and often cheaper) is to grow your own fruit and vegetables. If you’re a beginner, start simple with just one crop and pick something you love to eat. This might sound obvious, but there’s no point slaving away growing a bumper crop of beans when you’re not going to enjoy eating them. Far better to grow a small but perfectly formed basket of strawberries and enjoy each and every one.
Fancy growing your own veg? Check out our handy tips
Even better (and often cheaper) is to grow your own fruit and vegetables. If you’re a beginner, start simple with just one crop and pick something you love to eat. This might sound obvious, but there’s no point slaving away growing a bumper crop of beans when you’re not going to enjoy eating them. Far better to grow a small but perfectly formed basket of strawberries and enjoy each and every one.
Fancy growing your own veg? Check out our handy tips
Clean your home naturally
Natural cleaning products are much better for the environment, can often be cheaper and, in many cases, do the job just as well as chemical alternatives.
There are plenty of tips online for using the likes of baking soda, lemon juice and vinegar to clean everything from your windows to your oven. Or, if time is short, buy from a range of ready-made natural cleaning products.
Natural cleaning products are much better for the environment, can often be cheaper and, in many cases, do the job just as well as chemical alternatives.
There are plenty of tips online for using the likes of baking soda, lemon juice and vinegar to clean everything from your windows to your oven. Or, if time is short, buy from a range of ready-made natural cleaning products.
Wash without guilt
There are several eco-friendly detergents and laundry conditioners available that can compete with the big-brand versions when it comes to getting clothes squeaky clean, so why not give them a go?
Make sure you have a full load of washing before you switch on your machine to earn extra eco-friendly points.
There are several eco-friendly detergents and laundry conditioners available that can compete with the big-brand versions when it comes to getting clothes squeaky clean, so why not give them a go?
Make sure you have a full load of washing before you switch on your machine to earn extra eco-friendly points.
Win at recycling
Little changes can make a surprisingly big difference when you tot them up over the year, so challenge yourself to doing something as simple as setting up the right systems for recycling at home.
Make it super-easy to sort your recycling with clearly labelled boxes or bags like these and aim to reduce your weekly rubbish output – you’ll be surprised how much of a difference you can make.
What are your New Year’s resolutions? Tell us in the Comments section.
Little changes can make a surprisingly big difference when you tot them up over the year, so challenge yourself to doing something as simple as setting up the right systems for recycling at home.
Make it super-easy to sort your recycling with clearly labelled boxes or bags like these and aim to reduce your weekly rubbish output – you’ll be surprised how much of a difference you can make.
What are your New Year’s resolutions? Tell us in the Comments section.
Many of us are already in the habit of taking our own bags to the supermarket now that most shops charge for plastic ones, but why not try to go completely plastic-bag free this year? Make sure you always have a fold-down canvas shopper on you, so it’s on hand for those impromptu shopping occasions when you might get caught out.
Pop one in the bottom of your handbag and one in the pocket of each of your coats and see how far you can get through the year without having to pay for a plastic bag.