Small changes in our daily lives can make a big difference. The onset of 2018 is a great time to set goals that can benefit your health, wallet, community, and the environment. Here are a few sustainable resolutions from the U-Haul Corporate Sustainability team to offer you inspiration:
“I am opting to not use plastic straws at a restaurant and to let my waiter know before delivering the drink to my table. Secondly, I want to get less ‘take-out’ and ‘to-go’ food. As an alternative, I’d like to dine in or make a meal at home. This will reduce the number of disposable containers, Styrofoam cups and plastic utensils that I contribute to the landfill.” – Alexia Bednarz, community advocate
“I have a resolution to transition to a plant-based diet. Not only do I feel better physically when I eliminate meat from my diet, but I’m also aware of many environmental and economic benefits in going plant-based.” – Michelle Sullivan, manager
“My goal is to switch to reusable produce bags at the grocery store. This will decrease the amount of single-use plastic products that I throw away. I also want to buy more locally produced foods, which require less transportation and energy resources and support the local economy.” – Kayna Lantz, technical and creative writer
“I’m going to work with the City of Chandler to get its composting bin for weekly pickups. I’ll also be hiring someone to seal a few doors to my home, which will save energy and money.” – Brigitte Bavousett, project coordinator
“My goals for 2018 are to help the environment and my pocket book. I will start carpooling to save time and money on my commute to work. Plus, this will reduce my carbon footprint for commuting by half. I also will be replacing all the lighting on my house with LEDs. This will significantly reduce my energy consumption on lighting over traditional incandescent lighting.” – Evan Siegel, energy analyst
“My resolution is to eat healthier by eating less ‘take-out’ and cooking more meals at home. This will cut back on my consumption of paper bags, plastic utensils and cardboard.” – Lucas Santucci, intern
“Some of you probably have heard of the sharing economy. One popular neighborhood sharing site is Nextdoor. One of my sustainability goals this year is to share gardening tools with our neighbors through the Nextdoor website. I’ll also give away plants and any landscaping items that I no longer want. I’ll post them on the free section of the neighborhood online network.” – Dr. Allan Yang, chief sustainability scientist
Small Changes, Big Results
Small changes do indeed make big differences. For instance, switching from disposable plastic water bottles to a reusable water bottle can save you hundreds of dollars every year? Consequently, you save 79 percent of greenhouse gas emissions associated with disposable plastic bottle use, and reduce plastic waste in our landfills and ecosystems.
Finally, as the industry leader in DIY moving and self-storage, U-Haul is proud to share resolutions like these and is committed to year-round sustainability efforts of all shapes and sizes. Learn more about these efforts by visiting our Corporate Sustainability page at uhaul.com.
