My Planet-Friendly New Year's Resolution

Every year I make a number of New Year's resolutions. And whether or not they last, I am often proud for however long I can keep them up because they are backed by a good intention.  These resolutions are never about fixing a broken piece of me, but are often about how I take care of myself or how I interact with the people and places around me.  But this year I am trying something different. I'm making a New Year's resolution all about how I spend money. Let me explain...

Inexpensive clothes whisper to me often. "Buy me, buy me!" They can be cute, trendy, and tossed out if they get stained or worn-out. They can be an easy quick fix when I've eaten too much Thanksgiving stuffing, or after a week of sickness makes me suddenly cozy up to my scale while my baggy clothes sag.

But the lure to buy what will become future throw-aways is especially prevalent for a number of people during the holidays and January, when we need our spending money to go its farthest. It's easy, then, to fall into the cycle of buying from cheaper chain stores, watching as the items wear out quickly, and then throwing them away when we look at them and think, "No one will want to wear this worn out old thing!"

According to a fascinating Huffington Post article about the Goodwill Cycle, 12.8 million tons of textile waste went into US landfills in one year alone. Unfortunately, only approximately 15% of textile waste in America is recycled or donated. But the problem is not just in how we need to recycle or donate more. The problem is, according to The Atlantic, Americans now buy five times as much clothing annually as they did in 1980. The statistic blows my mind.

And calls me out big time.

To be a conscious consumer means to think ahead about one's own personal waste that will end up in the local landfill. Just because something is cheaper does not necessarily mean it's a smart financial decision in the long run. Cheaper items that wear out more often end up requiring more of your money to be replaced, and in the process have also cost the environment more. For example, it makes economical sense to buy a $200 locally handmade bag that'll last 15 years over a $75 bag that will last two years. But additionally, it's even better to have something that's durable, well made, and can handle the demands of everyday use without falling apart. Plus one bag in the landfill is better than two.

When studies have repeatedly shown smaller businesses to produce higher quality items, there is little argument to be made that cheaper items are better for the environment or the local economy. So one of my resolutions this new year is to stop buying cheap items, and rather to value my financial and environmental investment in buying higher quality things so often made just around the corner.  I challenge everyone to think about how this year can be the year of changing how we consume.

Here's to a locally-made 2017!