Setting Sustainable Intentions for the New Year

I have to say, year over year, my New Year’s resolutions look pretty much the same…

Eat healthier
Get into better shape
Read more
Reduce waste
Spend less time watching TV / on devices

One thing that’s remained a priority over the years is the increasing need to adopt sustainable behaviours–both big and small actions we can take to reduce plastic, water, and energy waste.

Part of the reason for this is that if we don’t start to curb or correct our behaviours now, they are likely to have long-lasting, in some cases–irreversible, negative impacts to our planets.

What I’ve come to learn over the years is the importance of reducing single-use plastics from our daily consumption.

A challenge easier said than done.

In some cases, it’s easy–plastic water bottles for example, by now these should be a thing of the past. Buy yourself a good quality, reusable bottle instead, and cut the waste (and added costs) of thousands of single-use plastics. Also think: reusable bags for groceries, when was the last time you paid for plastic bags at the checkout? (Hopefully a long, long time ago). That was a smart move to implement a fee for plastic bags as a way of curbing the public’s behaviours.

In other instances, it can be more of a challenge to sacrifice some of the goods we love that use a lot of added plastics in their product packaging. I see this a lot with consumer packaged goods, likely due to the low cost of plastic vs other more sustainable materials. This page from the Federal Government outline’s Canada’s action plan to cut single-plastic waste by 2030.

Canada’s action plan to cut single-plastic waste by 2030.

It doesn’t just stop at single-use plastics either… more broadly we can be aiming to reduce/cut single-use items. And speaking from experience, I can’t even begin to tell you how much of an avid daily Starbucks customer I was. Every morning I would wake up, make breakfast, head to work and grab a coffee from the closest Starbucks. When I reflected on all those cups accumulated over the years… Trust me, habits can be broken.

Now instead, my morning coffee routine includes making my own at home in a french press, and pouring it into my insulated bottle which keeps it warmer for longer throughout the morning. That’s definitely a bonus for me!

When you find a brand whose values align to yours, a powerful thing happens – trust is formed. That’s exactly what happened when I discovered FWD, a brand by Sportchek with a vision for sustainable living. FWD stands for Forward With Design, and their line of products embody that vision, AKA they walk the talk.

From bamboo towels to aluminum water bottles and biodegradable deodorant wipes, not only are the products forward thinking but they come with a minimalistic but practical design. The yoga mat towel is my favourite of FWD’s products that I own, it’ll definitely get it’s fair share of wear and tear in a post-covid world where I can happily return to my hot yoga studio!

This wet bag is also great for keeping sweaty clothes separate from clean after a gym session. Again, something that will no doubt come in handy when covid is finally behind us. And the reusability, the sustainably sourced material, and the cute print are all added perks 🙂 and make you feel good about the products you choose to use, too.

So if like me, you’re getting a head start on intention setting, or even listing out some good gift-giving options