5 MORE SUSTAINABLE NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS
Have
you made any New Year’s resolutions? If you resolved to lose weight,
eat healthier and exercise more, you have just joined a very big club as
lifestyle improvements are some of the most popular. This year, why
don’t you consider environmental sustainability as well as your health?
There are many things you can do that can help both at the same time.
Drive less
Transportation is responsible for a hefty chunk of our energy-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (it’s about one-quarter in Australia and the USA).
Try walking, cycling or even skating instead of driving as often as you
can; it burns kilojoules/calories, it’s free and creates zero GHG
emissions. And you can soak up more of your surroundings instead of
whizzing straight past in a haze of exhaust fumes. Heck, you may smile
and greet a stranger and create a bit more peace and harmony in the
world while you’re at it. Catching public transport is better for the
environment than driving a car and you usually have a little walk at the
beginning and end of the journey.
Drink water
Disposable plastic bottles made up a whopping one-quarter of the litter removed Australia-wide by Clean Up Australia Day
volunteers. This is equal to 3600 tonnes of plastic containers in 2016
alone. To put this into perspective this is equal to the weight of
around 1000 mid-sized cars. In the USA
40 million containers are estimated to be thrown away every day, and
only 30% are recycled. These figures are horrifying when you think of
where all these bottles end up: in landfill and our waterways. This year
buy a reusable drink bottle and drink water instead of sugary drinks.
If you must buy a plastic or glass container, please recycle it, even if
you have to take it home first. This is a healthier option both for you
and the environment.
Meat-less Monday
A good steak is a great
thing, but did you know animal foods make up a large portion of our
food-footprint? Around 2kg of greenhouse gas emissions are made in the
production of just 80g of lamb.
The same emissions arise from a comparatively large 2kg of lentils. Not
only are plant foods better for the environment; they are also great
for our health, so this is a win-win. Make plant foods the basis of your
diet and eat just enough of the animal foods your body requires and
waste nothing.
Reduce packaging
In some
Sydney preschools, children are given re-usable sandwich bags and water
bottles to help them achieve waste-free lunches when they go to ‘big
school’. This helps reduce plastic in landfill and reduces litter in
school playgrounds. A waste-free lunch is a worthy goal for grown-ups
too. When you shop for snacks like muesli (granola) bars, nuts, canned
fruit, dried fruit, milk and yoghurt, try to avoid individually wrapped
items and instead make your own or buy in bulk and portion them out in
re-usable containers. For the unavoidable soft plastic packaging waste,
find out where you can recycle it. In Australia, the two major
supermarkets have soft plastic recycling bins.
Fill your cup
Disposable coffee cups are an environmental disaster. ABC’s War on Waste
TV series revealed around 50,000 cups, enough to fill one Melbourne
tram, are binned by Aussies every 30 minutes! The situation is likely to
be similar in other coffee-loving countries. Contrary to popular
belief, most disposable cups are not recyclable as they are lined with
plastic to stop leaking. Why not have fewer coffees and treat yourself
to a fair-trade barista-made coffee and drink it from your own
personalised re-usable cup.
The un-plugged truth
- Take active transport whenever possible; that is, human powered rather than fossil fuel powered.
- Drink water in a re-usable bottle to save pollution and reduce empty kilojoules/calories in sweet drinks (soda).
- Enjoy a plant-based diet with just enough animal foods.
- Reduce your waste and your waistline by eating fewer packaged foods (and always recycle).
- Avoid disposable coffee cups and take your own re-usable cup.
Nicole Senior is an Accredited Nutritionist, author, consultant, cook, food enthusiast and mother who strives to make sense of nutrition science and delights in making healthy food delicious.
Contact: You can follow her on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram or check out her website.
