The last days of 2022 are here – and this might be the ideal moment to take your time and reflect on what this year meant to you. And of course, also meditate about what you expect and hope for in 2023. New year – new me, right?
Well, New Year's resolutions usually revolve around exercising and quitting unhealthy habits. That’s wonderful of course – and we are cheering for you! But what would you say about making it a bit more special this time? Are you ready for 2023 – the year in which we aim to live more sustainably and make more ethical decisions? We’re talking New Year’s revolutions here!
This article lists 30+ ethical and sustainable New Year's resolution ideas worthy of your 2023 New Year's resolutions list. But don't get overwhelmed – just pick a few that resonate with you!
We promise that it won't only be Mama Earth enjoying the perks of these adjustments. A more conscious lifestyle can take some worries off of your shoulders (it will save you some money, for instance) and make your life more simple and happier. Doesn’t that sound like a pretty awesome goal for 2023?
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Changing your (fashion) shopping habits can have a great impact on our planet and its inhabitants. Did you know that the fashion industry is responsible for about 10% of all humanity's carbon emissions?1
This is more than the amount produced by all international flights and maritime shipping combined! (If you need a minute to wrap your head around that – we get you.)
So, it would be amazing to leave your support for fast fashion brands in 2022 and go for the equally stylish but more sustainable and fair alternative. How? For instance, you could:
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Stylish & made of vegan wool! Thanks, gran!
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It's trendy, trust us. (The Devil Wears Prada, 2006)
Kim van Langelaar, co-founder of Shop Like You Give a Damn:
While I’ve got tips 1 to 5 and others down by now, and not having shopped in my life very much at all – I am a minimalist at heart – I have very little experience with buying second-hand clothes at a thrift store for instance. I do wear clothes that my mother (and even father!) used to wear, either 20-30 years ago or very recent stuff my mum doesn’t fit in anymore (score!). And I did buy something off a teammate once, for whom a fabulous shirt was too big – I rock it now, thanks, Sonja. But that’s really it. But these items just came my way, I didn’t have to go searching for them in a huge store.
The thought of swap parties terrifies me, but I would love for 2023 to be the year where I finally visit one. Especially renting an outfit at Amsterdam’s Lena Library, for instance, fascinates me. When I have a little bit more time on my hands, I’d like to dedicate some mindspace to experiencing how that works.
Your environmental resolutions could also focus on the food you put on your plate. Did you know that...
So, make sure that your sustainable resolutions for 2023 have the greatest impact possible! How to ease into a plant-based diet?
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Can't find us? We’re busy dating vegans in 2023.
In the wise words of author and animal rights activist Colleen Patrick Goudreau:
Take it slowly and on your own terms, like with the example of cheese. At least do what you’re able and willing to do at this very moment. But to not do anything at all, just because you think you have to do everything right immediately, would be a waste. “It’s the ultimate example of self-sabotage.”
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'Wake up, it's time for vegan breakfast, remember?'
A great start to a vegan New Year is doing the Veganuary challenge. Trying a vegan diet cannot get any easier – you will get delicious recipes, easy meal plans and helpful tips for this transformation. During the 2022 campaign, more than 600.000 people took their pledge to try a vegan diet.
This challenge only takes 31 days and by the end of it, you will know how to cook delicious and easy vegan meals and how to properly eat a balanced vegan diet.
Not only that, in those 31 days you’ll save around 125 litres of water, 543 kg of grain, 84 m2 of forest, 273 kg of CO2 emissions... and 30 animals!3
Tip: Try Veganuary (in English) or the Vegan Challenge (in Dutch)
There are quite a few more things you could add to your New Year's resolutions:
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Let's make it to 2023, shall we? (Toy Story, 1995)
Anna Krijger, editor at Shop Like You Give a Damn:
My New Year’s Resolution is to limit my waste as much as possible. It was only recently that I realised I was buying waste every time I went to the supermarket, in the form of packing material. All the jars, cartons and bottles we buy only to throw away the minute we finish the product – that suddenly seemed illogical to me.
For example, when you buy a cleaning detergent, you also buy a lot of water and a single-use plastic bottle. Now I use Ecopods: tablets that you can dissolve in water, coming with aluminium bottles that can be reused time and again. My goal for 2023 is to find more sustainable life hacks like this and reduce my ecological footprint more.
It will be so much easier to stick to a more sustainable lifestyle once you know all your facts. You might want to watch:
The year 2022 has taught us many lessons, one of which is that every individual matters and every ounce of positive change you can bring to this world matters too. In 2023, you might feel the urge to help the cause you believe in and feel so passionate about.
Polly Drábová, content & research marketeer at Shop Like You Give a Damn:
In the last couple of years, I was a volunteer in many organisations, but for 2023 I choose to do good differently. Each month, I will donate some money to four non-profits whose missions are very close to my heart: Humánny Pokrok (an animal rights organisation based in Slovakia), Vagus (helping unhoused people), Amnesty International (a human rights organisation) and #EveryIndividualMatters (helping both humans and animals financially).
Also, I would like to write one letter every month and send it to unethical companies, as well as become more active in online spaces with campaigns like #WhoMadeMyClothes. So, my goal for 2023 is to support organisations (and their campaigns) that are doing essential work and fighting for a better world – for every being.
Hold on – you just read through plenty of New Year's Resolution suggestions. Maybe, you feel inspired and excited for the new year (and new you) to come. Or maybe you are a bit skeptical about whether you can actually keep them. In that case…
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Hold your horses, Grumpy Cat, we have tips for you!
The key to any New Year's sustainable resolution is to make them realistic and specific. What does it mean exactly?
Be real with yourself and only set achievable goals. For instance, you probably won't be able to 'wear only sustainable clothes' when your wardrobe is still full of clothes you bought from fast fashion brands in the past. And that is completely okay.
Simply being committed to not contributing to the fast fashion industry anymore, and only buying (or even better, swapping, renting and thrifting) ethical and sustainable clothes from now on, while still wearing and making use of the clothes you already own, is probably the most environmentally-friendly and ethical approach you can take.
Another tip is: make your resolutions more specific and set measurable goals. This will increase your chances of actually achieving them.
For instance, 'I will eat vegan food six days a week' is more concrete than 'I will eat more vegan food'. Or, 'I will buy only 10 pieces of new clothing this year' is more specific, and therefore, more effective than just 'I will shop less'.
It also helps to describe concrete situations – make use of the four Ws: when, where, what and why. 'Every other week (when), I will only eat plant-based dinners (what) at home and in restaurants (where) because I want to reduce the carbon footprint of my diet (why).
If you want to take it a bit further, you can always brainstorm about what you would do in situations when you face some challenges. What if, in your plant-based week, your colleagues invite you to a restaurant with no plant-based options? “In this case, I will…” and that part is up to you!
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‘Being awesome in 2023’? 'Nope, you already are!
So, did you end up with a list full of ethical and sustainable New Year's resolutions? If so, we are happy to see that our ideas were useful.
But we couldn't end the year 2022 without acknowledging your awesomeness. Thank you for getting ready to make the world a better place in 2023!
And of course, Happy (Ethical & Sustainable) New Year!
1. 'The fashion industry emits more carbon than international flights and maritime shipping combined. Here are the biggest ways it impacts the planet.' M. McFall-Johnsen. 2019
2. 'Avoiding meat and dairy is ‘single biggest way’ to reduce your impact on Earth.' D. Carrington. 2018
3. 'How Much Have You Saved?' The Vegan Calculator. n.d.
4. 'Clean your Inbox. Save the Planet.' Leave Me Alone. n.d.