Guest Post: Top Five Eco New Year’s Resolutions for 2012
Good morning! I have another great guest post today brought to you by EthicalCommunity.com.
Please note: there are suggestions for things that are non-vegan/vegetarian. Obviously, you don't have to do anything you don't want no matter what side of the fence you're on. Please use them as inspirations to do what is best for you.
Oh, and one other thing. Where it references the UK in spots, you could replace with the US, although, our stats might be more staggering.
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1. Don’t waste a meal
With the UK throwing away an astonishing 3.6 million tons of food each year maybe its about time we all pledged not to waste a meal and to make our ingredients go that little further, such as making delicious stock and gravy from left over food.
2. Never buy bottled water again
Lose your bottled water addiction in 2012 and do your bit to reduce the 275,000 tonnes of plastic which the UK sends to landfill each year, equal to a staggering 15 million plastic bottles per day! This will also save you a fortune and you can always ease the pain by treating yourself to an Aquatina collapsible pocket bottle (as seen on the BBC’s hit show “Dragons Den”).
3. Have a meat-free Monday
Join Gwyneth Paltrow and Sir Richard Branson in reducing the amount of meat in your diet and have a “meat free Monday”. Cutting meat out of your diet can decrease your carbon footprint by a third of a ton and coming up with meat-free meals isn't as hard as it sounds. Try pancakes and fruit for breakfast; fresh salads or roasted vegetable sandwiches for lunch; and veggie bean soups, and creamy risotto for dinner – lovely!
4. Grow your own food
One step better than buying local and organic food is growing your own, not only is this cheaper but it’s also far more rewarding as there is nothing quite like the taste of home grown food. If space is limited or you live in a flat with no garden don’t despair as a vertical garden such as the Woolly Wally Pocket allows anyone to build their own living wall perfect for producing a small harvest, working both indoors and outdoors.
5. Eat Real Foods
If you don’t already, start eating real foods. By that we mean whole foods. Pack your diet full of a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, beans, and whole grains. Add a little bit of dairy, eggs, and meat if you wish. That means skipping out on all of the processed foods that dominates many of our diets and supermarket shelves. All of the cookies, crisps, fizzy drinks, all go out the window. That’s not to say you can’t ever have it again, but try not to keep processed foods in the kitchen cupboard where it can tempt you on a cold night.
About the authors/EthicalCommunity.com:
EthicalCommunity.com has already won a number of prestigious awards including the Shell Livewire Grand Ideas award and an enterprise scholarship which Liam was awarded whilst at the University of Leeds, graduating in 2009.
Please note: there are suggestions for things that are non-vegan/vegetarian. Obviously, you don't have to do anything you don't want no matter what side of the fence you're on. Please use them as inspirations to do what is best for you.
Oh, and one other thing. Where it references the UK in spots, you could replace with the US, although, our stats might be more staggering.
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The New Year is both a time for reflecting on events across 2011 whilst looking forward to the exciting things that 2012 might bring. But what makes up a good New Year’s Resolution? Before you follow the crowds and rush out to join a gym, this year you might want to consider looking at how the things you choose to eat can impact our planet. Small changes can make a huge impact across the year and certainly are easier to stick with than promising yourself to look like Arnold Schwarzenegger by the end of the year!
A new fast growing website, EthicalCommunity.com launched last year which aims to help us all purchase eco-friendly & natural products, direct from the people that make them. Natural food lovers can browse from over 7,000 products, learn about the story and person behind each product, so we decided to quiz them on their top eco food resolutions.
1. Don’t waste a meal
With the UK throwing away an astonishing 3.6 million tons of food each year maybe its about time we all pledged not to waste a meal and to make our ingredients go that little further, such as making delicious stock and gravy from left over food.
2. Never buy bottled water again
Lose your bottled water addiction in 2012 and do your bit to reduce the 275,000 tonnes of plastic which the UK sends to landfill each year, equal to a staggering 15 million plastic bottles per day! This will also save you a fortune and you can always ease the pain by treating yourself to an Aquatina collapsible pocket bottle (as seen on the BBC’s hit show “Dragons Den”).
3. Have a meat-free Monday
Join Gwyneth Paltrow and Sir Richard Branson in reducing the amount of meat in your diet and have a “meat free Monday”. Cutting meat out of your diet can decrease your carbon footprint by a third of a ton and coming up with meat-free meals isn't as hard as it sounds. Try pancakes and fruit for breakfast; fresh salads or roasted vegetable sandwiches for lunch; and veggie bean soups, and creamy risotto for dinner – lovely!
4. Grow your own food
One step better than buying local and organic food is growing your own, not only is this cheaper but it’s also far more rewarding as there is nothing quite like the taste of home grown food. If space is limited or you live in a flat with no garden don’t despair as a vertical garden such as the Woolly Wally Pocket allows anyone to build their own living wall perfect for producing a small harvest, working both indoors and outdoors.
5. Eat Real Foods
If you don’t already, start eating real foods. By that we mean whole foods. Pack your diet full of a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, beans, and whole grains. Add a little bit of dairy, eggs, and meat if you wish. That means skipping out on all of the processed foods that dominates many of our diets and supermarket shelves. All of the cookies, crisps, fizzy drinks, all go out the window. That’s not to say you can’t ever have it again, but try not to keep processed foods in the kitchen cupboard where it can tempt you on a cold night.
About the authors/EthicalCommunity.com:
Young co-founders and serial entrepreneurs Liam Patterson (aged 24) and Jason Dainter (aged 26) have previously run successful internet based businesses.
EthicalCommunity.com has already won a number of prestigious awards including the Shell Livewire Grand Ideas award and an enterprise scholarship which Liam was awarded whilst at the University of Leeds, graduating in 2009.
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