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Sustainability

New Year, Greener Me

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A new year provides a fresh start. At Sonoco, we’re working to help our team members and customers form greener habits in 2023.

We want to help make these three typical New Year’s resolutions greener…

Eat healthier.

Eating healthier starts with smarter meal planning and shopping. Here are a few tips to help…

Meal planning. Meal planning doesn’t have to be a hassle. Weekly setting aside 15-20 minutes to plan your meals can prevent impulse purchasing or wasting food. Meal planning also doesn’t have to be constraining. Having a variety of options frees you to switch meals to fit today’s appetite. Most importantly, meal planning allows space to stretch your budget to buy organic and/or local produce.

Shopping. With your weekly meal plan in hand, make your shopping list for the week. Next, stow reusable bags in your vehicle. Then, plan your shopping trip to maximize your time and prevent wasting car fuel.

Drink more water.

Experts point to drinking water as being beneficial to overall health, but this small change takes intentionality. Here are a few tips to help…

Replace. If you’re trying to reduce your caffeine intake, consider replacing a morning cup of coffee with a cup of water. If you’re trying to decrease the cost of buying a drink on the go, consider keeping a filled water bottle near your keys and wallet.

Reuse. Disposable bottles are convenient for those with a busy schedule. With a little effort, you can easily incorporate a reusable water bottle that helps you track your goal.

Get and stay organized.

Reorganizing or purging your home of unused items is a great way to declutter. Here are a few tips to help…

Donate used items. One person’s trash is another person’s treasure. Whether your discarded items are outdated or worn, others may find them valuable. Donating these items to a local thrift store or non-profit may help meet another’s needs or raise funds for a good cause.

Limit your storage. Some believe a cluttered home results in a cluttered mind. By limiting how much you store in drawers, shelves and closets, you keep freshly decluttered spaces organized. How can you do this? Consider setting these “rules” for your home:

  • After each purchase of clothing, kitchenware, etc., donate one item.
  • Create a capsule wardrobe with hand-picked, high-quality clothing items.
  • Regularly purge your pantry and/or refrigerator of unused or expired food items.
  • Break down boxes immediately after opening them and place them in a recycling bin.

Going green is a worthwhile goal. At Sonoco, we’re doing our part to prioritize going green with big actions—how we run our business and what packaging we produce. But we’re doing our part with small actions too—helping our team members and customers make practical habit changes. Why? We believe both big and small greener habits make big a difference to the planet.

Thank you for doing your part to be kind to the planet and your community!