Sustainability Goals 2026

It's officially 2026, and many of us had to return to life, aka back to work, this week. However, before we fully dive into the new year, I would like to address a very specific resolution for this year: our sustainability resolutions for 2026.

To be honest, I love all kinds of lists, so the time around New Year's Eve is my opportunity to create endless lists and come up with new plans and ideas. It gets me excited, and even if I can't tick off all the plans and goals on my list, it's good to enjoy the (writing) process and start the new year full of anticipation. Remember, it's always about the process, not just the goal. :)

One list that was quite challenging to compile was the one I created to set my sustainability goals for the year. I wanted to hold myself accountable while also serving as an inspiration for others. So, I reviewed some of my sustainability "fails" of 2025, reflected on where I could create more impact, and kept in mind that it should be realistic, so that I will actually follow through. So here are my four goals:

Reduce (Food) Waste

We produce quite a bit of waste, including food waste, which bothers me, as food waste is particularly within our control. This was already a focus last year, and while there was progress, I'm not happy with the current status. I still forget about leftovers in Tupperware, buy new products without a plan for them or circle around an ever-drier broccoli instead of using it before it's too late (is it just me, or is broccoli often left behind?).

So here are a few ideas on how to tackle this (for you and me):

• Shop your pantry, you will be surprised by what you find on your own shelves

• Plan your meals to reduce buying products you don't need

• Clean your fridge regularly (that's a big one for me)

• Share with neighbours or friends if you know a product is about to expire and you won't use it in time

• Food waste on a larger scale: Use apps like TooGoodToGo, OddBunch, or Flashbox to save fruits, veggies, and to-go food from being thrown away.

I'm planning to write my next deep dive post on this topic, so expect more content to come your way.

Update Cleaning Products

I've been wanting to address this area for some time, and this year I'll start by replacing some of our cleaning products in the bathroom and kitchen. I'm conscious that the cleaning products we use can be highly toxic and produce microplastics, so I aim to research and gain more knowledge about this topic. It's not particularly exciting, to be honest, but it's a household area where we can make a difference.

Buy More Local & Canadian

Starting early in 2025, many of us, including ourselves, began changing our shopping habits. We started buying meat from the local butcher, cheese more intentionally from the local cheese store, and summer fruits like berries directly from farmers. We also sought out other local products, such as my beloved honey, and began using OddBunch to prevent local food waste. However, by the end of 2025, PC Optimum, the loyalty program for NoFrills, which we use to buy other products, informed me that only 24% of our purchases were Canadian products, and I was shocked. Didn't we pay enough attention? Did we miss some of the fine print? How did this happen? This year, as we continue shopping at small grocery stores and farmers' markets, we will pay closer attention when buying items like pasta, oats, and chips, as I suspect these may be part of the 75% of products we're missing.

Stay Curious and Keep Learning

I struggled with the fourth goal. Grow my own herbs? Buy more second-hand? Cook more vegan meals? Save the world single-handedly? I decided to focus on curiosity and knowledge for this last goal. This includes trying new recipes, finding product alternatives, planting herbs, discovering sustainable brands and implementing new habits (and maybe even saving the world). You can be assured that I will share these learnings with you here on my blog. :)

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And on a last note:

One thing that excited me last year, and I will continue to do this year, is replacing my makeup and hair care products with sustainable alternatives, and, where possible, with products from companies run by women. Here are three brands from which I bought products last year: Ceremonia, Elate, and Cheekbone Beauty.

And with that, I'm ready for 2026 and many new sustainability challenges, deep dives and learnings. If you have a sustainability goal, please feel free to share it, I would be curious to hear about it.

xx, Nina