Resolutions for a more sustainable 2023
Posted on 12/26/2022

Resolutions for a more sustainable 2023

A message from Climate Fellow Sophie Roberts


As 2023 approaches, Piedmont's Climate Fellow Sophie Roberts shares ideas for steps you can take to create a more climate-friendly lifestyle in the new year.

Headshot of a young, white woman with greenery in the backgroundIs your New Year's resolution to be more sustainable in 2023? Here are six actions you can take to lower your carbon footprint this year!

Go Zero Waste

Swap out single-use items in your home for reusable or zero waste options.

  • In the kitchen, you can exchange plastic wrap for beeswax wrap and zip-top bags for reusable silicone bags.
  • Make the switch to eco-friendly and low-waste personal hygiene products. For example, try using a bamboo toothbrush or a shampoo bar.
  • Check out nearby refill stores like Fillgood and Re-Up to get started today.

Start Composting

When organic waste decomposes in a landfill without oxygen, it produces methane, a potent greenhouse gas. By composting your food scraps, you can easily reduce your ecological footprint.

To help you get started, Piedmont’s Sustainability Division can provide you with a free 1.5-gallon kitchen scrap pail by request. To get yours, contact [email protected].

Electrify your home

Here in Piedmont, residential buildings account for nearly half of in-territory greenhouse gas emissions, with the overwhelming share of these emissions coming from natural gas used for heating and cooling. Swapping out gas appliances for electric appliances has the potential to significantly reduce your home’s greenhouse gas emissions.

To help your electrification journey, the City of Piedmont is launching an Electrification Rebate Program in January! Residents will be eligible for cash rebates to support the purchase of electric appliances such as heat pumps and heat pump water heaters.

This rebate can be stacked on top of the many existing rebates available from the region, state, and federal government. Check out SwitchIsOn.org and RewiringAmerica.org/app/ira-calculator to learn more about available rebates.

Don’t buy anything new

Every product we buy has its own carbon footprint from the materials used to create it, the manufacturing process, the packaging, and its delivery. See how long you can go without buying anything new (other than food and necessities). You might be surprised at how hard it is to go even a couple of days without making a purchase.

When it’s time to buy something, see if you can get it second hand. Try a local thrift store or a Buy Nothing group on Facebook.

Participate in “Veganuary”

Veganuary is a challenge to eat plant-based for the month of January. A study done by the University of Oxford found that cutting meat and dairy products from your diet could reduce an individual's carbon footprint from food by up to 73%!

If you don’t want to commit to a whole month, try eating vegan one day a week.

Find a way to engage with your community

Volunteer to register voters, sign petitions, submit public comments, volunteer or join a community group. Big environmental changes are possible when we work together.