My Sustainability Goals for 2019

Last week I shared my top 2019 resolution of getting reorganized after having a baby and being on maternity leave. My new habits are getting stronger, although apparently my writing motivation is not!

However, I've got a few other goals I'd like to aim for this year, even if I don't fully achieve them.


Focus more on zero-waste principles, rather than recycling

Recycling is a very solid habit in our home, but this year I'm going to devote more effort into reducing our output in the first place. A renewed focus on cutting back on paper towels and single-use containers from the grocery store (and getting someone in my house to use cloth bags more diligently) are big areas my household can improve upon.


And with the baby, there are other areas to pay attention to. Let's face it, delivery and postpartum recovery are not known for being zero-waste times. I didn't let myself get too bummed out about the amount of single-use items I was using in that time, because it was important for me to recover, stay healthy and spend time with my baby without feeling guilty. I think that now, I can look at ways to be less wasteful while still being clean and healthy.

Plus, I want to set a great example and make sustainable living the norm for Ariana! Solid foods are coming up quickly for us, and I'm looking forward to making my own foods for her to try - less waste and cleaner ingredients.


Recommit to using cloth diapers

I wrote a blog post last year on the cloth diaper debate, with the intention of using my collection of hand-me-down cloth diapers once Ariana was born and especially while I was home on maternity leave. That intention hasn't panned out very much in her first few months, but starting late is better than not starting at all. Most of the cloth diapers were too big for her petite size in the beginning, and it was easy to fall into the habit of using disposable diapers (which were either boxes of diapers given to us, open boxes of disposables from a friend or natural disposables that I'd purchase.)


But I'm here, recommitting to giving cloth diapers a go and setting up the routine for while Ariana is at home. There are still many months of diapering ahead of us, and as she grows, she'll be able to use the cloth diapers better. And if I can slow down the frequency with which we empty the diaper pail, then I'm working toward my top green resolution. Of course we'll still be using disposables while she's at her sitter's house, so it'll be a hybrid use at best.


Get outside

Going outside, even if just for a few minutes, helped me tremendously while on maternity leave. It felt so great to get fresh air, see fresh scenery and expose Ariana to the nature in our neighborhood. As she gets bigger, I'm even more excited for all the time we'll spend outside this year, between walks with my Solly baby wrap, strolls in the stroller, picnics, bike rides (can't wait to try out our secondhand trailer!) and hopefully a beach trip.


Do you have any sustainable goals for this year? Leave them in the comments below!

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