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Green Living New Year Resolutions

 

Kick-off 2025 with green resolutions! At Hassalo, we are committed to green living and want to ensure our residents have access to all the information and resources available to make life more efficient, less wasteful and overall as eco-friendly as possible. Listed below are a few easy to implement ideas that also make a big impact towards a more sustainable future.

Green Companies

Choose Green Companies – Support businesses that are committed to sustainability in their products. Consumers have the power to influence eco-friendly practices. By choosing products and services with a dedication to environmental efforts you can feel good about your footprint.

Meal Prep

Manage portion sizes, reduce food waste, and make grocery shopping easier. There are many options out there for sustainable containers to make food prep easy and quick. Switching to canvas bags for groceries will do wonders for cutting out waste and cut costs in the grocery line (since Portland charges per bag).

Save Energy

Turn off lights, turn heating down a degree or two and switch off electronics that are on standby. It’s not easy to remember every time, but after a while, it becomes second nature. Adding a post-it to your light switch to remind you to turn it off when not in the room can be a good start to making more energy efficient habits.

Compost and Recycle

According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, in the U.S., food is the single most common material sent to the landfills, comprising 24.1 percent of municipal solid waste. (1) This will slow climate change by diverting organic and recyclable materials from landfills and utilize our communities recycling and compost bins. It’s great for those patio gardens too, using compost can greatly increase a yield on vegetables like tomatoes, cucumbers and herbs.

Like any New Year resolution, making mindful changes to our everyday life is not easy, but always pays off in the long run. By implementing these small tips, you’re doing your part in slowing the climate crisis and giving your neighborhood a great example of how to be a conscious citizen of the world.

(1)Impacts of Sending Food and Other Organic Materials to Landfills. EPA, https://www.epa.gov/sustainable-management-food/composting. Accessed 11 December 2024.