A recent YouGov survey showed that only 16% of British people intended to make any 2024 New Year’s Resolutions.
Why should we pile on the pressure to become upgraded versions of ourselves as of 1 January? It’s cold, wet and dark in London. We’d all rather be hibernating than embarking on self-improvement, right?
That being said, there is evidence that there’s something in the “Fresh Start Effect”. It’s just that sometimes, you need to take a gentler approach…
Perhaps this year, instead of imposing strict New Year’s Resolutions on yourself, you sat in a blanket with a cup of tea during that weird week between 25th December and the New Year and made a little list of things that are “In” for 2024 and things that are “Out” for 2024.
Or maybe, like me, you took your fresh new diary with pages so far unmarked by deadlines and dates to remember – and you set yourself some little monthly targets. Just small things to achieve each month, fulfilling to tick off a list as you move through the year. Little things to achieve here and there, rather than huge statements of drastic change you will make.
If you want to feel that small glowing sense of achievement this year, is there better place to start than helping our planet? Our personal goals, career ambitions and health-kick hopes for the new year aside, we can certainly all do a bit more for our planet as the climate crisis worsens.
So, may we suggest 3 Undaunting Sustainability Goals to think about this month, with the aim to carry them throughout 2024, and beyond!
Composting
you have a garden or a balcony, you could start composting. As per Recycle.com, research has shown that almost 50% of food waste in the average waste bin could have been turned into compost, that we could then use to fertilise plants – maybe even homegrown vegetables!
It’s a money saver (no need to buy expensive fertiliser anymore) and a great way to reduce your carbon footprint. Think about how many teabags and coffee grounds go into your bin every day, now imagine those instead being popped into your compost bin, ready to transform into rich nutritious compost!
See useful link to Recycle.com and their instructions to get you started.
Reducing food waste.
There is approximately 9.5 million tonnes of food wasted in the UK every year and the UK creates more food waste than any other European country. WRAP estimate that around 70% of this comes from household food waste, and that much of it is edible when it is thrown out.
Some ways we can reduce food waste in our home include:
- Meal-planning for the week, so you know exactly how much to buy for each meal, reducing potential surplus food in your fridge (some great apps exist to help with meal-planning, such as Sorted Food’s sidekick app).
- Checking the use-by date of everything you buy, then prioritising cooking things with shorter use-by dates first. Anything that won’t be eaten before the use-by date can be frozen to prolong its life and defrosted when you’re ready to eat it.
- Reusing any leftovers. They can be tasty for lunch the next day, so you don’t have to buy that sad meal-deal. Or they can be transformed into something else!
Fundraising or volunteering.
At FEAST With Us, we take surplus food from local food retailers and distributers that would be destined for landfill and turn it into nutritious meals for communities in need in North London.
Not only does this help to reduce food waste in London, but it also helps those living in poverty in London, numbers of which are rapidly increasing as we navigate the cost of living crisis.
Supporting a charity like FEAST With Us is a way of contributing to sustainability efforts and community efforts at the same time.
Could you fit FEAST into your 2024 goals?
You can support us by:
Fundraising for us.
We have 2 exciting challenge events upcoming, which you can view here.
Volunteering with us.
We have many volunteering opportunities for you, from cooking in our kitchen, to delivering donations.
You can read more about volunteering with us here.