A Simple Guide to Achieving These 2025 Eco-Friendly New Year’s Resolutions

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The start of a new year is the perfect opportunity to embrace positive change. What better way to do so than by committing to eco-friendly habits?

And eco-friendly resolutions aren’t just for the avid environmentalist, either. Most sustainable habits will also result in achieving other resolutions you may have already planned, including spending less money, making smarter long-term financial decisions, eating healthier, or exploring new places! Sustainability in general is a life-improving practice, and making sustainable resolutions can help you start 2025 off right.

But while you can have a lot of motivation going into a resolution at first, you often need a solid plan to sustain that resolution and follow through.

This guide provides actionable steps to help you integrate sustainable practices into your life in 2025. From replacing single-use items to minimizing food waste, these resolutions are designed to be impactful, achievable, and rewarding.

Which ones will you be taking on in 2025?

Start Replacing All Single-Use Items with Reusables

One of the simplest ways to reduce your environmental footprint is by replacing single-use items with reusable alternatives—making this resolution as impactful as it is obtainable. But where to start? There are so many single-use items in the home, it can be a daunting task to figure out how much to replace, and with what!

Begin by taking inventory of disposable items you use daily in your kitchen, bathroom, and laundry room. Items like plastic bags, paper towels, and disposable razors often go unnoticed but contribute significantly to waste. Ridwell’s plastic swap checklist can help you identify these items even faster.
Research reusable alternatives. For instance, swap plastic wrap for beeswax wraps or paper towels for washable cloths. Chances are for almost any single-use item, there’s a perfectly viable alternative to it that, with proper use and care, can save you a lot of money on repeat purchases.
Take it slow if you want—you’ve got the whole year! Create a wish list of reusable products to prioritize purchases based on your budget. Transitioning doesn’t have to happen overnight; test and replace items gradually to ensure they meet your daily needs.
Consider organizing your home to make reusable items your first resort, and single-use items your last resort. It would be unreasonable to assume you’ll never buy or use paper towels ever again, but if they’re under the sink while your reusable washcloth is conveniently placed out in the open, then the reusable item will always be your first resort.

In the meantime, if you’re still using single-use items and want to see if you can give them a second life, check out the reuse and recycle pages on our website for more ideas!

Slowly Incorporate Meat Alternatives Into Your Diet

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Reducing meat consumption is one of the most effective ways to lower your carbon footprint. And thanks to a growing number of Americans choosing plant-based diets over traditional ones, the options are tastier and more accessible than ever!

But a change in diet is a big change in your life overall, and it’s important to not only understand the health factors associated with a meatless diet, but also to approach it gradually so your body can handle the adjustment.

This resolution can feel all the better when you track how the change is effecting your life. Start by journaling your current meat-eating habits. Track the types of meat you consume (since all types of meat have their own carbon footprint), how often, and the associated costs. If you want to get into the nitty gritty, you can even write down your current blood pressure, cholesterol, and other health factors that can be affected by a meat-based diet. By the end of your journey, you can look back on how you’ve helped the environment, how it’s impacted your health, and how much money you’ve saved!
Next, experiment with plant-based alternatives. Begin with one or two meatless meals per week and gradually increase as you discover new recipes and products. Resources like GreenCitizen’s guide and TriplePundit’s 2025 food trends can help you explore delicious and nutritious options.
If you’re dining out, use platforms like HappyCow to find vegan and vegetarian restaurants in your area. Generally, vegetarian cuisine is much cheaper than traditional meat dishes.
To stay motivated, join online communities or local groups focused on plant-based eating. These spaces often share recipes, tips, and support for those transitioning to a more sustainable diet. Consider participating in challenges like "Meatless Mondays" to make the process fun and engaging. Members of our Chicago Environmentalists Facebook Group can also provide advice and support!

Power Your Home With Renewable Energy

Transitioning to renewable energy can significantly reduce your carbon footprint while saving money in the long run. While renewable alternatives like rooftop solar aren’t for everyone, the process of finding out if it’s right for you is almost always completely free! Illinois in particular has a fantastic rebate/tax credit program for homeowners interested in solar to help make the financial benefits of renewable energy more obtainable.

Start by reviewing your energy bills from the past year to understand your consumption patterns. These bills will also come in handy as they help solar installers provide you with a savings estimate.
Use tools like solar-estimate.org to calculate potential savings from installing solar panels and finding residential solar companies that service your area and could provide a free consultation.
Explore renewable energy credit (REC) programs offered by your utility provider. This will help you even better understand the incentives available to you directly through your utility provider, like ComEd does on their solar incentives and credits page—they provide a breakdown of the Illinois state incentives as well as their own solar calculator for ComEd customers.
If installing solar panels isn’t possible, you can still source your electricity from a community solar farm through your utility company. Community solar allows you to save money on your electric bills using energy produced by large, offsite community solar projects, similar to how you would save on your electric bill if you installed panels on your own property. Chicagoland residents are eligible to source from a number of community solar options.
In addition to the options above, you can work to maximize energy efficiency by changing your energy consumption habits. Our summer energy conservation guide can provide a look into some of these habits that reduce dependency on energy generated by fossil fuels.

Don’t forget to extend your efforts beyond your home! Look into opportunities to implement sustainable practices at work: visit our office sustainability page for more information that can help you encourage your office space to make the switch to renewables.

Run All Your Errands at Local Shops

Supporting local businesses not only strengthens your community, but also reduces the environmental impact of shipping and large-scale production. There are thousands of local shops, restaurants, grocery stores, and retail stores in Chicago that could use your support, and they’ve got products that are often much better quality and more unique than chain store alternatives!

That being said, you’re still likely to end up sacrificing some level of convenience in order to shop at these stores. The steps below will hopefully reduce the extent of that sacrifice, and give you some inspiration for other ways local stores can be a rewarding experience.

Begin by analyzing your shopping habits. How often do you visit chain stores, and what do you typically purchase? Chances are, local shops will have all the same items you find yourself regularly purchasing, and writing down what those items are is a great first step in determining where you can shop instead.
Next, explore local alternatives using tools like the sustainable local shops and grocery pages on our website. If you prefer to see what’s closest to you in a map format, you can also check out our interactive map. Then, plan your errands strategically to make shopping at local stores more convenient. For example, you may not be able to find groceries and bathroom supplies and clothes all in the same local store, but you can change your shopping cadence to focus on these necessities one at a time, or find locations that are all within a reasonable distance of each other to save time on multiple store visits.
Take advantage of local farmers' markets for fresh produce and other goods. These markets often feature items that are not only sustainable but also support local agriculture. Just search the name of your neighborhood and “farmer’s markets”, and see what comes up!
Additionally, you can engage with store owners to learn more about the origins of their products and their sustainability practices. Learning about these practices from local store owners can be an eye-opening experience as to how “sustainable” practices at chain stores may not be as environmentally-friendly as they claim.

Switching to local shops may take some adjustment, but the benefits—from fresher products to a smaller carbon footprint—are well worth the effort.

Waste NO Food

Food waste is a major environmental issue, but with mindful habits, you can significantly reduce it, and even aim high by seeing if you can diminish food waste altogether. This is one of the more difficult goals to achieve, and may take a lot of practice, but with the severity of food waste in the United States, it’s also one of the most impactful resolutions you can make in 2025.

Start by tracking the types of food you frequently throw away. Are you overbuying perishables or forgetting leftovers in the fridge?
Once you identify patterns, adjust your shopping habits. Purchase smaller quantities of perishable items and plan meals that use up ingredients you already have.
Make meal planning a weekly ritual to minimize food waste. Use apps like "Too Good To Go" or "Olio" to find surplus food from local stores and restaurants at discounted prices. These apps can help you save money while reducing waste.
If you still find yourself with too much excess food, research food donation opportunities at local pantries, shelters, and food banks. There are also Love Fridges around the city where edible food can be dropped off.
Composting is another excellent way to ensure that whatever food waste you do produce does not contribute to global warming. Visit the composting page for tips on setting up a home composting system or finding local drop-off locations.
For other strategies, check out the EPA’s guide to preventing food waste.

Adopting eco-friendly habits doesn’t have to be overwhelming. By breaking resolutions into manageable steps, you can create lasting change that benefits both the planet and your lifestyle. Whether you’re swapping single-use items for reusables, exploring meat alternatives, or supporting local businesses, every action counts. As you embark on your 2025 sustainability journey, remember that progress is more important than perfection. Together, we can make a significant impact, one resolution at a time.