When a new year begins, it is common to make lists of resolutions to achieve personal goals, develop professionally, or achieve dreams.

All resolutions are valid and achieving them is always a source of great joy! But have you considered adopting resolutions that have a collective impact? It's also worth thinking about how small changes in attitudes can help society and the planet.

This involves adopting a more sustainable lifestyle, changing some habits and making adjustments - some of them quite simple - to your routine.

Learn about 5 attitudes to have a more sustainable life below.

1. Opt for sustainable transport

The transportation sector is responsible for about 23% of all carbon dioxide emissions in the world, according to reportage of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), released in 2023.

Everyone can do their part to reduce this burden of emissions, and reducing dependence on cars can have a great positive impact on the environment, if several people around the world make this decision.

To start doing this, whenever possible, prioritize public transportation, choosing the subway, train, or bus. Whenever the route allows, always prefer to walk or bike, which do not generate any type of pollution.

When you need to go by car, look for more sustainable alternatives, such as participating in carpooling groups - so the car will not be used by just one person on a given route.

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Find out how carbon credit market it works and how it can be an efficient solution to combat climate change. Visit the page dedicated to the topic on the Suzano website to learn about our initiatives and the impact of this market on the sustainable future.

2. Reduce food waste

In 2022, the world threw out more than 1 billion meals a day, while more than 780,000 people went hungry, according to reportage of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), of the United Nations Organization.

According to the study, this problem is serious not only from a social point of view, but also from an environmental point of view, since food waste is directly related to climate change, increased pollution and loss of biodiversity.

Therefore, each person needs to do their part. Try to be rational about how much food you and your family actually need to consume. The ideal is to always buy, order and prepare the right quantity, so that there is no waste. Is there any food left? Don't throw it away until you find ways to reuse it for a new meal - there are several recipes that help transform leftovers into tasty dishes.

3. Adopt recycling

Recycling is necessary. Action is important to save natural resources, especially finite resources such as oil, and to help Combating global warming. In addition, in countries like Brazil, recycling also drives a chain of social development, as it benefits people who live by collecting recyclable items.

To start recycling in your daily life, the first step is to separate the organic waste from the recyclable and seek information about the recycling methods in the place where you live. It is also worth researching what materials are and what are not recyclable. On the Suzano Blog, we published an article with 10 tips for recycling waste, explaining everything you need to know about the subject.

4. Reduce the use of disposable plastics

Plastic pollution is a global problem. A UNEP, the United Nations Environment Program, estimates, for example, that every year between 19 and 23 million tons of plastic are thrown into aquatic ecosystems, such as rivers, seas, and springs. This type of pollution severely threatens biodiversity, in addition to contributing to global warming.

Thus, in addition to discarding plastic correctly, it is also important to evaluate the replacement of items of fossil origin with products made with renewable raw materials that do not exhaust natural resources in their production, such as paper and items made from responsibly cultivated eucalyptus cellulose, such as those from Suzano.

5. Consume more consciously

If there's one thing we can never forget, it's that each of us needs to make more conscious choices about what we consume. This is an attitude that is growing around the world. So much so that one survey The World Economic Forum, published in 2022, revealed that 80% of consumers take sustainability into account in their everyday decisions.

To adopt conscious consumption is to become a person who thinks about the impact of your purchases on the planet - from an environmental and social point of view.

Attitudes such as valuing local products and producers, avoiding impulse purchases, and seeking information about the companies that manufacture the products you use on a daily basis to check sustainability practices are good ways to become a more conscious consumer and to act for a better future.

An extra tip: You can also adopt a more conscious life by practicing sustainable tourism, contributing to the economy of places that care for and preserve the environment

Conclusion: sustainability is within our reach

As you discovered in this text, with some simple changes - and being more aware of what you do and consume - it is also possible to make the new year a more sustainable period.

How about then, at the beginning of the New Year, in addition to personal resolutions, start adopting attitudes like these and encouraging those close to you to also take better care of our planet?

Taking advantage of reading, also check out which are the Suzano's commitments to Renew Life, long-term goals to build a better future for people and for the planet.

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