New Year, New Habits for a Sustainable Future

As we step into 2025, let’s adopt small, impactful habits to create a significant difference for our planet. Here are a few simple but powerful habits to embrace for an eco-friendly lifestyle:

  • Say Goodbye to Plastic – Bring reusable bags to the grocery store instead of buying plastic bags and carry a refillable water bottle with you to eliminate the waste from water bottles.
    • Why it’s sustainable: Reducing plastic waste helps decrease pollution, decreases the amount of waste in landfills and reduces harm to wildlife. Single-use plastic bags and bottles are often not recycled and can take hundreds of years to break down. Reusable alternatives are durable and significantly cut down on waste.
  • Pack Your Own – Carry a reusable straw and utensils for those fast-food runs to avoid using single-use utensils.
    • Why it’s sustainable: Single-use plastic straws and utensils often end up in landfills or oceans, contributing to environmental pollution. Using your own set reduces the need for disposable plastics, making a direct impact on reducing plastic waste.
  • Choose Sustainable Household Products – opt for eco-friendly household products such as biodegradable cleaning supplies, bamboo toothbrushes or reusable beeswax wraps instead of plastic cling film.
    • Why it’s sustainable: Many conventional household products contain harmful chemicals or are made of non-biodegradable materials that pollute the environment. Switching to sustainable alternatives reduces chemical runoff and minimizes plastic waste.
  • Walk More – When possible, walk, bike or hop on public transportation to reduce your carbon footprint.
    • Why it’s sustainable: Transportation is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. By walking, biking or using public transportation, you’re reducing your reliance on fossil fuels and lowering the amount of carbon dioxide you emit into the atmosphere, helping to fight climate change.
  • Donate, Don’t Discard – Instead of throwing away unwanted clothes, donate them.
    • Why it’s sustainable: Throwing away clothes contributes to textile waste, which takes up valuable landfill space and can take decades to decompose. Donating your clothes extends their life cycle, helps those in need and reduces the demand for new products, conserving resources.
  • Eat Seasonally – Support local farmers and enjoy in-season fruits and vegetables when possible.
    • Why it’s sustainable: Seasonal foods are grown locally, which reduces the environmental impact of long-distance transportation and greenhouse gas emissions. Eating produce that is in season also supports local economies and encourages more sustainable agricultural practices.
  • Learn Recycling Rules –Learn what can and can’t be recycled.
    • Why it’s sustainable: By understanding and following the correct recycling rules, you help ensure that materials are properly processed and reused, conserving natural resources and reducing waste.

By adopting some of these habits, you’re contributing to a more sustainable and greener future for everyone. Let’s make 2025 a year of positive change—together, we can make the City of Paramount safer, healthier and more attractive. Every little action counts.

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