Living Greener Resolutions To Consider for 2021 + How To Tackle Them

Thinking of setting yourself some green goals for 2021? Here are some simple ones I’ve had on my list over the last few years you can pick from.

I’ve also added some personal tips and brand suggestions, but as always it’s going to be trial and error to see what works for you and your routine. Google is your best friend to find local alternatives if that’s something that you find important.

Recycle Or Save Your Food Scraps
You could start recycling your food waste if you haven’t already. Have a small bin in your kitchen and regularly empty it. My previous council didn’t do food waste pick-ups so I used to save them in the freezer and drop them off at a community garden. It took me a while to make it part of my routine, but was so worth it in the end. Also, consider freezing the peels to make vegetable stock.

Buy Your Vegetables and Fruit From Farmers’ Markets
If you don’t have a market near you, Google for vegetable / fruit boxes near you. I get a bi-weekly fruit box from Oddbox, but there might even be regional farms that sell them. Often the produce offers are seasonal so you know that it hasn’t travelled halfway the world and they are mostly plastic free. That is hitting three stones at once.

Book Your Accommodations Directly
If in 2021 you get the chance to travel then book it with the hotel itself instead of using Booking.com. It’s become so easy to search and book via them, but the practice is not that ethical as it has forced smaller accommodations to go on there and hand over 15% to Booking. If you’re worried about cancellation flexibility, contact the hotel to double-check this.

Make Your Go-To Meals Vegetarian
Eating less meat is topping a lot of resolutions, and it doesn’t necessarily have to be that hard. My journey to eating less meat started with making my 10 go-to meals meat free. For my Spaghetti Bolognese I swapped meat with lentils, the carne in my chili became three different beans and the chicken in curries was replaced by cauliflower and chickpeas. Now this has become part of my routine, I don’t even have to think about what I’m cooking next.

Get Your Booze Locally
Something I started doing during the first lockdown is trying to get drinks from local breweries and distilleries. I didn’t know most of these independent breweries even existed near me so if you think there are none near you do a Google search and give them a try. This way you’re not only supporting the locals but you also make the travel impact chain way greener.

Start Making Your Bathroom Plastic Free
Next time you need a new shampoo or shower gel, replace it with bars. Lush is a good start and we have much to thank them as they made soap bars accessible for a lot of us. But if you want something more local and palm oil free find a local alternative. My current go-to soap is the Charcoal & Tea Tree from Poapoa, my shampoo bar is the Avocado one from Workshop London and my face gets the Breakfast Bar treatment from Tanaka. In 2021 I want to try to replace my washing up liquid with a bar as well.

Have A Sustainable Period
And think about going for a menstruation cup or underwear. If that’s going too far, why not start replacing your tampons and pads with a plastic and perfume free brand? One of those brands that makes them out of organic cotton is Yoni, a Dutch brand that’s been around for a while and has finally made their way to the UK on the shelves … yes, even your local supermarket!

Start Your Ethical Wardrobe Journey With Socks And Underwear
The easiest way to start building a greener wardrobe is by replacing your worn out socks and underwear with ethical brands. Thought Clothing does great socks. People Tree for socks and underwear basics while Lara Intimates is worth checking if you want something different.

Rent An Outfit For A Special Occasion
Next time you have an event that needs dressing up why not try renting? If you really don’t have anything in your closet that is. I used these when I was working in film PR because I didn’t see a point in having many dresses that I can only wear once. There are quite a few sites where you can rent everything from dresses to shoes and bags.

Do you have any green goals, tips or advice to share?