Take the Environmental Audit Challenge
The New Year is well underway, so now that all the holiday decor has been put away until next year and your tree has been composted, it’s time to take stock and see what you can do for the environment in 2023. Check out our suggestions for ways to tackle change that won’t exhaust or overwhelm you. And to give you ideas, we have audited our Tips & Tricks and added new ideas to get you started!
Do a Room Audit
Pick a room in your house like the laundry room, bathroom, or kitchen and focus your efforts there. Where does the waste in this room come from? Look ahead to the next purchases for these rooms and think: how can you make your purchase more sustainable? Can you refill? Can you skip the plastic? Check out the Tips & Tricks for new ideas. Once you feel you have conquered that room, move on to the next!
OR Do a Task Audit
Pick a task like dental care, grocery shopping, or laundry and focus on making that task as environmentally friendly as possible. Have fun trying toothpaste tablets and shampoo bars. Check out bulk and refill options at Fresh Thyme, Eco and the Flamingo and the Refilleri. Review the Tips & Tricks for these and many more ideas.
As you do your audit, keep in mind that this is part of a lifestyle change and you are creating new habits. It may take 6–8 weeks for something new to become a habit. Suggestions for success are:
Make the changes that are the easiest first
Allow new methods/products to become routine before adding on more
Make this a team project—involve your family/community
Each room or task you conquer will spur you to take on the next. You will also find you just naturally become a more conscious consumer. Celebrate each victory and forgive the slip-ups.
The overall goal is to use/repurpose/regift/donate/refill/compost/recycle before sending to the landfill. Each step you take will make a huge difference over time for Mother Earth!
Leave a comment below, or contact the Environmental Action Committee at environment@lwvchicago.org.