Habit #1

Take shorter showers!

By reducing your showers by just a few minutes, you could save multiple gallons of water every day. This is highly sustainable because you can conserve energy and preserve water for future generations!

Habit #2

Purchase AND Use reusable straws and utensils!!

It is a small yet powerful act as 40 billion pieces of disposable utensils are discarded EVERY YEAR. This amounts to almost 100 million plastic utensils EVERY DAY. With many restaurants or food places using disposable tableware for efficiency, it is more important than ever for us to become hyper-aware. Not only is it an easy habit to include in your daily life but also a great gift idea for any holiday/gift exchange!

Habit #3

Avoid using Salt as a deicer

Runoff from salt can pollute nearby waterways, harm plants, and damage concrete surfaces. One teaspoon of salt can pollute 5 gallons of water, and chloride (common in deicers) is extremely toxic to aquatic ecosystems.

Some alternatives to salt include sand and simply manually removing ice. If you HAVE to use Salt, use it very sparingly: a coffee mug of salt (about 12 oz.) is all that is needed for about 1,000 sq. ft., approximately the area of a 20-ft driveway or 10 sidewalk squares.

Stay Safe and Eco-Friendly this Winter!

Habit #4

Choose to buy second-hand clothing!

Not only will this save you money, but you will do our environment our favor by reducing the amount of waste that goes into landfills. By enforcing this habit, you will be breaking out of the “buy-use-dispose” cycle that has become a trend of modern consumerism. This will help lower your own carbon footprint, conserve more resources, and will support local communities by choosing to purchase second-hand clothing from charities or local organizations with powerful humanitarian missions. 

Habit #5

Go paperless!

Although many companies have already adapted to sending correspondence through emails, not all of them have set this new method of communication as the standard. When available, request a paperless option to reduce paper waste in 2025! In the case of paperless utility bills for consumers, it allows for on-the-go convenience, saves money, and reduces carbon footprint. 

Habit #6

Enforce proper recycling

It can be easy to mindlessly toss items into the recycling bin — or “wish cycling”— but by taking the time to check your items, you can help prevent pollution, save energy, and conserve valuable resources. Even if the rest of the items in the bin may be recyclable, throwing just one paper coffee cup may end up contaminating the whole system, ultimately forcing recyclers to dispose of whole loads of recyclables at landfills or incinerators.

Let’s continue to educate each other on recycling in 2025!

Habit #7

Reduce your energy use

This will help lower your utility bill and additionally benefits the environment by reducing the amount of greenhouse gases released into our atmosphere. You can reduce energy usage by investing in energy-efficient models, unplugging devices when not in use, and washing clothes in cold water. 

Resources

Regional Water Providers Consortium. “Shower.” RegionalH2O, https://www.regionalh2o.org/water-conservation/indoor-water-conservation/shower#:~:text=Water%20Conservation,-Indoor%20Water%20Conservation&text=Of%20course%2C%20you%20could%20also,you%20will%20use%20less%20water. Accessed Jan 6, 2025.

University of Minnesota Extension. “Effects of Deicing Salts on Landscapes.” Extension.umn.edu, https://extension.umn.edu/lawns-and-landscapes/effects-deicing-salts-landscapes. Accessed Accessed Jan 6, 2025.

Fort Bend Women’s Center. “5 Environmental Impacts of Thrift Shopping.” FBWC.org, https://www.fbwc.org/blog/5-environmental-impacts-of-thrift-shopping?hs_amp=true. AccessedAccessed Jan 6, 2025.

Questline Digital. “Top Reasons Customers Choose Paperless Billing.” Questline Blog, https://www.questline.com/blog/top-reasons-customers-choose-paperless-billing/. Accessed Jan 6, 2025.

The Earthling Co. “Sustainable Practices at Home.” The Earthling Co. Blog, https://theearthlingco.com/blogs/news/sustainable-practices-at-home. Accessed Jan 6, 2025.