Now that the holidays are over, it’s the best time to start working on your New Year’s resolutions. This year, motivated by the unfortunate events of 2021 (wildfires, flooding, droughts and rising temperatures), many people pledged to make 2022 a greener and more sustainable year for them. If you’ve made similar resolutions, here are a few hobbies that will enrich your year and green up your life:
Vegan cooking
It doesn’t matter if you’re an omnivore, vegetarian or vegan, having a few vegan recipes in your rotation will do a bunch of good to your health and the health of the planet. If you just introduce one day when you don’t eat anything animal-related, you will reduce your impact on pollution, climate change and resource depletion. According to the popular documentary Cowspiracy, the production of one hamburger requires around 60 gallons of water and more than 1 acre of woods to be cleared for farming. Ditch animal products one day a week and use them to experiment with vegan recipes—you’ll have a lot of fun and help the environment and your health in the process.
Gardening
Growing edible plants like fruits and veggies in your garden is very beneficial for the environment and your health and wallet. The food you grow yourself doesn’t only taste better, but it doesn’t contain any polluting chemicals. Gardening also absorbs carbon from the environment, so it’s helping you on your journey towards being carbon neutral. And don’t think you need a huge garden to start growing food—a few planters is all you need most of the time.
Upcycling
One of the best ways to help the environment is to reduce the waste you’re producing. Minimize your trips to the dump and use your old stuff to create something new and useful. Upcycling is a hobby that will exercise your creativity and teach you many new skills in the process. For instance, you can start with furniture restoration from your garage or grab a piece from your local Facebook exchange group. You’ll give your home a new look and the poor discarded furniture a new life.
Outdoor exercising
Physical activity in any way is a great hobby since it’s good for your body and brain. However, gyms don’t do much for the environment. As a matter of fact, gyms create a lot of energy and resource waste. So this year, move your exercising outside and reap the same results for less money and better environmental effects. And if you decide to take up Plogging, a Swedish trend of running and picking up trash you see around you, you’ll obviously green up your outdoor exercise even more. While working out, make sure to bring a reusable water bottle and dress sustainably in small-business products. When buying new clothes for training, choose workout leggings from independent manufacturers close to you. Local smaller manufacturers are always more eco-friendly and ethical than big brands.
Beekeeping
Bees are rapidly dying, which can have catastrophic consequences for our lives. To help the environment and encourage little busy bees, you can take up beekeeping. It’s a rewarding and fascinating hobby that also provides you with unlimited honey for the rest of your life. However, bees can be demanding, so make sure to do a lot of reading and research before you invest in hives and start your own colony.
Sewing
Before, every woman knew how to sew on buttons and mend holes. This skill has fallen a bit behind due to fast fashion that’s cheaper to replace than repair. However, if you take up sewing, you will give your clothes a longer life, make them look more interesting and even put a few bucks back into your pocket. With just a bit of skill and effort (there are great sewing projects online), you can create new things, embellish your old pieces and fix whatever is ripped. This hobby is eco-friendly and super relaxing and creative.
Volunteering
The best way to give back to Mother Earth is to become one of her warriors. Donate your free time to your local environmental charities and get involved in different activities and initiatives. While volunteering, you can do anything from education to restoration and conservation and meet amazing people through this noble hobby.Almost any hobby can be made greener and more sustainable, but these ones can do the most good in the upcoming year. And who knows, after you give them a try, you might discover a huge passion!
