Grace Kelly: 6 green resolutions for 2020

Fruit and vegetables in a dumpster

Last year is in the books, and, so far, 2020 has already proven to be a pivotal year when it comes to the climate crisis: devastating wildfires in Australia; the growing movement in Europe away from airplane travel; the pending presidential election here.

While pressuring companies and politicians to institute wide-ranging change is essential, it’s still important for us as consumers and citizens to make small changes in our own lives, and to show our commitment to addressing the problem.

According to a 2019 poll by The Washington Post and the Kaiser Family Foundation, 53 percent of adults say they have taken action to reduce their carbon footprint, and among those polled, the actions break down as such: 38 percent started to recycle; 37 percent try to drive less; 26 percent try to use less electricity at home; 17 percent said they drive a hybrid or more fuel-efficient car; 4 percent said they are reducing their meat consumption or cutting it out entirely.

There’s also been a trend of brands, companies, and celebrities (looking at you Jane Fonda!) pledging to be more sustainable in 2020, taking small steps toward a greener lifestyle and way of working.

As for me, as a newly minted environmental reporter, writing for ecoRI News has opened my eyes to some of my own lifestyle habits that need to change, from small things like remembering to bring my reusable bags to the grocery store to turning off the lights when I leave my apartment. But I offer six larger 2020 green resolutions that I will be working toward this year.

ecoRI News also put out a call on Instagram for reader 2020 green resolutions, and you provided some great answers, which are included at the end.

Here are my six green resolutions for 2020:

Reduce food waste. To say the United States wastes a lot of food is an understatement. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, we throw away 30 percent to 40 percent of our food supply, which equates to 133 billion pounds of food annually. To combat this, food media outlets like Bon Appétit are pledging to reduce their food waste, and local restaurants are turning to composting as a way to sustainably manage their food scraps. As an avid cook and kitchen experimenter who sometimes buys more than she can eat, I’ve made reducing food waste my big green resolution for this year.

Compost. Three of our Instagram followers told us composting was one of their green resolutions for 2020, and it’s easy to see why. Diverting food scrap from the landfill prevents it from rotting and producing methane, a greenhouse gas 30 times more potent than carbon dioxide. Plus, with new compost pickup services and businesses, it’s becoming more accessible.

Reduce use of single-use plastic. With 16 of Rhode Island’s 39 municipalities banning plastic shopping bags and with many nearby Massachusetts and Connecticut municipalities doing the same, the consumer push to ban the use of single-use plastics will continue into 2020. Numerous ecoRI News Instagram followers told us this was one of their green resolutions, and if remembering my reusable bags means running from the store back out to my car to grab them, I have no good excuse not to.

Eat less meat. With the burning of the Amazon forests last year to make way for pasture, and with top-three meat corporations — Tyson Foods, JBS S.A., and Cargill — emitting more greenhouse gases than the entire country of France in 2016, reducing our meat consumption is an important tool in combating the climate crisis. While the thought of going vegan might be intimidating, start by cutting out one or two meat-centric meals a week. It could give you the confidence to reduce your meat eating further. This is something I’ve been working on for the past few months, and one great blog I use for more vegetable-forward cooking inspiration is 101 Cookbooks. Also, shout out to your local libraries: They most definitely have vegetarian cookbooks on their shelves.

Buy old. Some 20,000 chemicals are used to make clothing, and according to the Environmental Protection Agency, 85 percent of said clothing ends up in a landfill or incinerator. To combat this, consider shopping secondhand; not only is it becoming more popular, with options like Savers and local thrift stores peddling both affordable and high-end finds, there’s something for every wardrobe. Also, if you’re going through your closet and looking to downsize, there’s a curbside clothing recycling program that will pick up your discarded items for free. And buying old doesn’t end with clothes. Purchasing refurbished electronics is an excellent way to prevent unnecessary waste. I scored a pair of noise-cancelling Sony headphones on Ebay for $56.

Get involved. As a millennial with college debt, rising rent costs, and a climate future that’s looking uncertain, I should care about what’s happening in local politics. But for my voting life, I’ve been admittedly lazy and uninformed when it comes to local elections, and that has to change. Luckily, the trend is the opposite of what I’ve been doing (or not doing). In the 2018 midterm elections, Gen Xers, Millennials, and Zoomers outvoted Baby Boomers and older generations by 2.1 million votes. This year I’m committing to not only voting, but also trying to attend public comment sessions as a concerned citizen. The climate crisis is an issue too big to sit back and do nothing.

Now, for some of our Instagram followers’ green resolutions

@Meejy_: Last year my partner and I decided to only buy local meat, and its going great!

@Hannanicoleknighton: compost; participate in a plastic clean up in my community; say no to single use as often as possible

@Cait_conquers: start purchasing mostly second hand instead of new when needed

@Marinaphyte: offset my oil bill by installing a wood stove! Save for an electric vehicle this year!

@Nicmore1220: Continue to reduce our waste! We have eliminated plastic wrap/Ziploc bags entirely; No more plastic straws either! Stainless/bamboo straws travel everywhere with us!

@Sweetfindvintage: Support more small, local business that are providing bulk and eco products!

@Allegrapedretti: Eat less meat! Use less plastic bags.

@Alexduryea: Fight for a green new deal (even more)

@Jaclynmsheridan: Use less water!!!

@Gloriousbig: Sign up for composting!

@Jocelyn.donald: starting to compost & shopping in bulk more often with my own containers

Grace Kelly is an ecoRI News journalist.