Guide to a Sustainable 2022

As you make your way through the first month of the new year, try to keep in mind some sustainable new year’s goals for 2022. The turning of a new year brings the feeling of a fresh beginning, and the mindset that anything can happen. So, whether you participate in making resolutions or not, it’s never a bad time to start living more sustainably.

Here are 10 tips to practicing sustainability this year. Will one of these make it on your resolutions list?

Composting

To help reduce your carbon footprint, try putting back into the earth what once came from it: food! About ⅓ of the food supply in the United States is discarded, where it will sit and release methane into the atmosphere, contributing to global warming. Instead, try composting your food scraps using an outdoor composter or one of our cute Counter Composters, where it can receive oxygen and compost properly. (You can also use it to compost some of our other products like the Bamboo Toothbrush and Compostable Soap Dish.)

Proper Food Storage

Another way to reduce food waste is through proper food storage, so you can consume more and throw away less. To aid you with this, we sell Beeswax Wraps (a sustainable alternative to plastic-wrap), Stasher bags, and Food Huggers’ food savers and glass lids.

 

Reduce Single-Use Plastic

The United States ships about 1 million metric tons of plastic abroad per year, while anywhere from 20-70% of it actually gets recycled! It’s a crazy situation, and one immense way you can help is by reducing the amount of plastic you buy and throw away. Eliminating the need for single-use plastic is a huge part of what we do at FD Market, so check out our online store or come in to browse the wide array of plastic-alternatives we have for you. From cleaning supplies to make up capsules, we have your sustainable needs covered.

Refill Old Containers

Another way to reduce your plastic output is by refilling plastic containers you already have. If you come by the store, you will be amazed by just how many refill items we have. We got it all: shampoo, conditioner, lotion, dish soap, laundry detergent, cleaning concentrates, even toilet bombs! Next time you think about throwing away that empty soap dispenser, think about refilling instead.

 

Thrift and Donate Clothes

One of the best (and in my opinion coolest) ways to combat the harm of fast-fashion is by purchasing second hand, or thrifted clothing. Many large, trending clothing corporations do not practice sustainability, or fair treatment of their workers. Many are also across the sea or get their supply from the other side of the country, leaving a huge carbon footprint in their tracks. Thrifting is a fun way to explore a wide range of clothes with a very low price tag, and see more unique pieces than what you might be used to. And to keep these places running, donate old clothes to your local thrift shop next time you do a closet clean-out.

We are currently selling a rack of Lazy Camel's repurposed clothing in the store; come check it out!

 

Capsule Closet

Something fun to consider for the new year is trying out a capsule closet. The idea behind a capsule closet is to use a formula to buy a specific amount of different articles of clothing in a way that you can mix and match to create dozens of new outfits without the need for a huge wardrobe. It is a minimalistic practice that requires effort at first, but in the long run, will make finding an outfit a hundred times easier, and will require you to buy less clothes.  

 

Sustainable Transportation

You might not think of it on a daily basis, but gas-powered cars pollute the air with over a billion tons of emissions per year. Want to reduce your contribution to this? Carpool with a friend or a coworker, take public transportation, and if it’s close enough, bike or walk!

 

Shorter Showers

Something simple you can also work on is taking shorter showers. This may seem small, but by shaving out a couple minutes from your showering routine, you will be saving gallons upon gallons of water. Each person has different needs, but the goal is to have showers last 5-10 minutes on average. Start with a slow transition and see where it goes from there! (To learn more about sustainable showers, check out our Guide to an Eco-Friendly Shower.)

Shop Local

Shopping locally is so important for many reasons. 1) You are supporting the local economy and small businesses. 2) You are reducing your carbon footprint by purchasing products transported locally instead of halfway across the world. 3) Locally grown produce is fresher and contains less preservatives because it is not transported far. 4) Small businesses generally respect fair treatment of employees and animals. 5) Products bought locally have their own unique and thoughtful background you can’t get from just any website. 

 

Sustainable Travel Kit

Hear me out, this 2022, start carrying your own sustainable travel kit. This kit would consist of a bag containing a couple of your favorite eco-friendly tools to get you through the day, allowing you to say “no” to plastic more than you could before. Items in your bag can range anywhere from reusable utensils, to a stain remover stick. Some ideas for your travel kit:

• Your favorite tote bag
• Bamboo Cutlery Set
• Reusable Glass Straws
• UNpaper Towels
• Stasher Snack Bag
• Better Balm
• Stain Remover Stick
• Bamboo Bandages

Whatever your goals may be for 2022, try to keep in mind the importance of respecting the earth and practicing sustainability whenever you can.

Thank you for taking steps towards a greener future!

 

 

Sources

13, Renee Cho|March, et al. “Recycling in the U.S. Is Broken. How Do We Fix It?” State of the Planet, 8 Dec. 2020, news.climate.columbia.edu/2020/03/13/fix-recycling-america/. 

“Food Waste Faqs.” USDA, https://www.usda.gov/foodwaste/faqs#:~:text=How%20much%20food%20waste%20is,percent%20of%20the%20food%20supply.