Make Some New Year’s Resolutions To Live Greener
Since January is over, there’s a good chance that all of your New Year’s resolutions have already fallen by the wayside. Maybe you did okay for a few days or a week but then lapsed back into old habits. Or perhaps you set your goals a little bit too high this year.
Well, here’s a list of eco-friendly New Year’s resolutions that are easy to fulfill. All you have to do is complete one relatively simple task or take part in one event during each remaining month of 2015, and you can check it off of your resolution list. Here you go:
February: Explore public transportation
If you live in a city that has a train, light rail, or subway that you never use, resolve to take one trip on public transportation. Maybe pick a day when the roads are a little more icy or snowpacked than usual.
March: Plant one tree
Purchase a shrub or sapling from a nearby nursery, then bring it home and find a place in your yard for it. If you live in an apartment, you can donate a new tree to a park, school, or community center instead.
April: get a rain barrel
Take advantage of those “April showers” to begin harvesting rainwater from your roof. Buy or make a rain barrel and set it under your gutter downspout. Then use the collected water for outdoor chores all year long!

May – Try growing something edible
You don’t necessarily have to create a whole garden (though you can if you want to!). Just buy a potted produce plant or bury some seeds in a spot in your yard, then add water, nutrients, and sunlight and watch it grow!
June – Ride a bike
It’s quite possible that your bicycle is gathering dust in your garage or shed. Get it out, dust it off, make it roadworthy, and then take just one bike trip – either for pleasure or to run an errand nearby.
July – Help your kids discover science
It can be challenging to come up with varying ideas to keep kids entertained in the summertime. Why not go on a nature hike, visit a science museum, or explore a botanical garden? Your children may actually learn something without even trying!
August – Join a volunteer cleanup effort
After several weeks of summer, your local parks, playgrounds, and recreational areas may be less than pristine. Find a group in your community that is planning to pick up litter or clean up trash and lend a helping hand.

September – Purchase/install one water-saving device
It can be a low-flow showerhead, faucet aerator, or water-saving toilet. If you’re not that DIY-savvy, then buy either a sprayer attachment for your hose or a water-filtering pitcher to cut down on bottled water consumption.
October – Compost your leaves into mulch
Instead of just trashing those fallen leaves, simply put them in a bin or box, add some occasional food scraps, and turn them from time to time. Before you know it, you’ll have a nutrient-rich mulch for your flower beds and gardens.
November – Eat locally-grown food
People love to eat out during the holiday season. Instead of your regular haunts, why not try a farm-to-table restaurant or an eatery that features locally-grown foods? That fare is more eco-friendly since it doesn’t have to be hauled in from miles away by gas-guzzling big rigs.
December – Use recycled materials/items to make Christmas decorations
From ornaments to wreaths to yuletide tabletop knickknacks, there are plenty of ideas for making holiday items without spending more money on new decorations.
See how easy this will be? With any amount of effort, you’ll be able to succeed in achieving the majority of these list items; and you have a fighting chance of getting them all done. Don’t you wish that all of your New Year’s resolutions were this easy to keep?
Written by Del Thebaud