Generally, New Year's Resolutions go by the wayside quickly, but here are some things that you can be intentional about this year. Even by starting small, each thing that you do will add up to a big difference in the world.

Reduce - Reduce how many resources you use and throw away. When you buy groceries, keep track of inventory so produce doesn't go bad and perishables don't get moldy. Food waste is a huge problem in the U.S. with the average home wasting almost 32%. We are already seeing scarcity of food in parts of the world. Only buy what you will eat. Items like paper towels, napkins, plates, etc. can just about be eliminated from your household. Cloth towels and napkins and real plates work well. I take old t-shirts and cut them into small pieces of fabric to use as dust cloths and for cleaning. They can be rinsed out and dried to use again. Also a reminder to get more wear out of your clothes before washing them if possible. Your clothes will last longer and the quality of our water will be better. Micro-fibers are released during washing that go into the water system.

Reuse - Containers, bags, baggies, clothing and more. Take your own food container to restaurants to pack leftovers in. Many of us have already been taking cloth or sturdy plastic bags to the grocery store, but do you take a bag with you when shopping at other types of stores? Don't forget your reusable coffee container when going to a coffee shop and your own water bottle when on the go. There is no need to purchase individual disposable water bottles. For clothing, shopping at resale shops is a great idea. Or, if you are like most American adults, you have way more clothing than you “need” so only wear a portion of your seasonal clothing one year and wear the other portion the next year. For paper, reuse the backside of letters or ads for your grocery list or to-do list. Gift bags are great for getting many uses out of them instead of wrapping paper. Do not tear wrapping paper when unwrapping a package – fold in flat and reuse the paper on another gift.

Recycle - Aluminum cans and foil (crumpled into at least 2” balls) are the easiest resource to recycle. There should be a picture info sheet stuck in the lid of your blue City of Austin recycle bin showing what you can put in it. Bottles, cans, foil, etc. should be fairly clean and empty of liquids. Take light bulbs and batteries to Lowes, IKEA, or Home Depot. Hazardous chemicals, paints, electronics can go to the City's drop off center with a reservation.

Lastly, compost if you can, either in a corner of your yard or through the City of Austin compost bin at the curb. Keep leaves on your yard and mow them to chop them up and they will do their thing fertilizing your yard with no added chemicals. Landfills can only hold so much and are very expensive for cities to create. Reducing how much trash goes to the landfill from each household will really add up.

These are the types of resolutions that matter to the world.