‘Tis the season when we look back on the year and make some commitments on going forward.  This year, why not include a little greening into your resolutions.  If you’re looking for suggestions, here are a few to get you started:

1) Ditch the plastic waterbottles.  If you are going to do just one thing to improve your ecological footprint, your best bang for your buck is to kick the bottled water habit.  Not only are you paying a ridiculous mark up on water, but you’re contributing billions of bottles to the planet, and all the associated greenhouse gases that come with them. Stainless steel waterbottles are reasonably priced and easy to find, and tap water is cheaper.  Save some money and the planet!

2) Go litterless at lunch.  Whether for you or the kids, its really no extra work to pack a few reusable containers instead of using plastic wrap or baggies.  One day, not a big day – 320 work days in a year – well that’s a lot of baggies in the landfill.  Consider a lunch kit – it makes packing kids lunches much easier.

3) Go green when you clean.  Our health tends to be the focus of most of our new year’s resolutions, so this is a good time to remember how closely the environment is tied to our health.  When we choosegreen cleaners for example, its not only better for the planet to choose a green cleaner, it’s also much healthier for you and your family.  Same goes for personal care products – the very same things that make a shampoo green make it easier on the body.

4) Drive lightly on the planet - We’ll explore how to save money on gas later - but you can get started simply by going lighter on the gas pedal.  Every 10 kilometres over the speed limit that you drive, costs you 10% more fuel to drive the same distance.  The two minutes that you save by speeding cost the planet and your pocketbook more than you think.

** Add your resolutions below – and check out the resolutions from my fellow Green Cricketers.

Resolutions from the Green Cricket team:

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David Greene = Green Cricket Expert (living in San Francisco)

I’m not a new year resolution believer BUT I am committing to reduce my plastic consumption by 50% by using reusable produce bags, swapping clam shell packaging in the store for reusable bags and where it is impossible, get in touch with companies to persuade them to cut down packaging. I am also planning to cut water consumption drastically, which is a big issue here in California.

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Peggy Smith = Green Cricket: Research & Administration

Here I sit with my copy of Sleeping Naked Is Green by Vanessa Farquharson.

My New Year’s resolution is to read it through 2010 and incorporate as many of Vanessa’s ideas for becoming greener as I can!  Vanessa managed to add one new green action every day for a year – impressive!  I am under no illusion that I will be able to do the same but I know that I will find some good ideas and have a really good read at the same time.

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Trevor Smith = Green Cricket: Director, Quality Management

First on a personal note to build up my own energy and health, I resolve to make much better use of the health club membership I have and also to walk more - drive less.

Secondly at home, now that Toronto has Electricity Smart Meters, I resolve to conserve more and use energy wisely (run appliances at “off peak” times) and just REDUCE - practice the discipline of “turning off lights when not in the room”!

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