Green Resolutions for the New Year

This year, in addition to our personal goals, let us make another New Year resolution: to make this year the year we really ‘go green’. Supporting environmental initiatives should be one of our main priorities and needs to be reflected through our green resolutions and commitment to safeguard it against all forms of pollution and to protect our fragile and finite resources. Depending on our age, work, location etc., our priorities may be different but our actions should be in unison towards environmental protection.

We need to understand that we have very recklessly plundered the global resources in a short span of time that is causing many adversities and catastrophes, but we are the only species that have to take preventive measures to avoid any such occurrences in future. Let us make sincere pledges and serious commitments towards our planet and protecting our environment.

Let us, at the least, try to adopt the environmentally-friendly living tips starting from this year and onward, if we have not practiced earlier. Below is the list of green resolutions for the New Year which you may endeavor to implement this year:

• Protect and enhance the green spaces, parks and playgrounds.
• Utilizing your roof for gardening and creating green areas.
• Auditing of our household and office related activities. Improving tasks that require electricity and water usage.
• Use minimum water for our daily activities.
• Wash clothes in normal water and washing only when full loads are in the dishwasher and washing machine.
• Turn off the faucet while we brush our teeth or shave.
• Watering our lawn in the morning/ evening to reduce evaporation losses.
• Changing incandescent bulbs and CFLs to LEDs
• Conserve energy in all forms. Switch lights when not in use.
• Unplug mobile charger and switch off computer after use as it wastes a lot of energy.
• Avoid fast fashion. Reduce our insatiable appetite for design apparel and related clothing that we wear for only one season and throw it in next. Only buy what you need.
• Do green shopping and donate old clothes.
• Detox your home. Only use safe chemicals and detergents as household cleaning products for furniture, bathrooms and clothes including air fresheners.
• Reuse and recycle material
• Plan vehicle trips to avoid peak hours and traffic congestion.
• Avoiding wasting any food items.
• Avoid plastic bags and taking our own bag for shopping.
• Avoid using Styrofoam cups, disposable cutlery and other related items.
• Avoid un-necessary print outs and photocopy.
• Minimize using bottled drinking water. This is expensive and generates plastic trash. Instead use water filtering equipment for home or use large refillable and reusable bottles.
• Avoid using paper towels and napkins. Instead use cotton clothes and old used fabrics.
• Enhancing our awareness by reading and knowing more on environment.

Enjoy the festivities of the season and be a more responsible citizen of the world. Happy New Year!