The New Year is here! And you know what that means, it’s that magical time of year where resolutions are made. The ever popular goal of going to the gym more regularly is always going to be a staple of this yearly tradition, but there’s always a couple of us here at Ethique HQ who opt for the less traditional resolutions. Continue reading to see what some of the team and I have jotted down for our 2019 resolutions. Brianne (our founder) has a tonne of goals up her sleeves, most being product related and continuing to rid the world of plastic, but her main goal is to inspire the rest of us to support our community and environment. 2018 was an incredible year for us- we saved over 1 million plastic bottles from being produced and ending up in landfill! This year I would love to keep pushing what we can do as a business, and part of my 2019 resolution is for Ethique to be even more active in our community. Aside from sponsorships and donating part of our profits annually, it would be great to see us all out there supporting our community and environment with initiatives such as tree planting days, for example. My goal (Jen) is to say no to a side of plastic with my tea. I grew up drinking tea, loose tea that is. It’s all I had, and still have, when lunching with my parents- so I’m unsure why I even buy bagged tea. I guess it’s more convenient and so readily available at supermarkets. But as I’m so oblivious to a lot of things, I only recently learnt about how unfriendly tea bags really are! The majority of tea bags on the market use polypropylene, which is a sealing plastic used to keep the tea bags from falling apart! Gross. So this year I really want to amp up my tea collection from 1/3 loose tea to 100% loose tea, and even start making tea with dried fruits and leaves from my garden! My pantry is gonna be smelling amazing! Shayna, our Sales & Ops Manager’s goal for 2019 is to, get out and explore more! My resolution for 2019 is to spend as much time in nature as possible! Whether it’s a simple walk around the park, a hike with friends on the weekend or a trip to the beach, there’s no better way to refresh and rejuvenate your body and mind than to spend some quality time with Mother Nature. Studies show the benefits of even 15 minutes spent in nature each day boosts our mental and physical well-being, reduces stress and even boosts our immune systems - not to mention it’s a free workout! Talk about the best way to tree-t yourself! Kimberley, our office clown, no doubt has some hilarious jokes up her sleeve to dish out throughout the year, but her goals for 2019 are focusing around wellbeing: Well I have a few resolutions this year (don’t we all!). My 3 main resolutions are to not buy any new clothes at all, to focus more on my health & wellbeing, and run a half marathon! Running a half marathon has been on my bucket list for a few too many years with some injuries putting it in the no-go basket, but now it’s time to tick it off & hopefully raise some money for a great cause too! Photo by Katrina Lowe One of our sales reps, the lovely Jacqui, or Jaxx as we like to call her, has some great 2019 goals focusing on composting and food waste reduction: I recently learned that it takes 25 years for a head of lettuce to fully break down if thrown away, rather than composted correctly. This made me re-evaluate my food waste, and how I can perfect the art of composting. The first step is to change my habits to minimise food waste altogether, for example if my veges are nearing the end of their shelf life, I’ll cook them all up and turn them into a stir-fry or pasta bake and freeze any excess (which is a great quick meal option if I don't want to cook!). And of course, not get sucked into the "deals" at the supermarket that encourage you to purchase "five for $5", instead of just the two you’ll need for the week. Second step: Learn how to compost more effectively. As composting is "nature’s way of recycling organic matter", it's a great natural fertilizer for your plants, as it improves long-lasting growth and retains water. There are a bunch of great online sites for composting tips, such as: https://www.gardeners.com/how-to/jumpstart-your-compost/5380.html Stacey, our Customer Service Manager who makes sure you lot are always looked after, is focusing her 2019 goals on her garden and helping bees thrive! The goal for 2019 is to grow a bee-friendly garden packed full of flowers and edible plants to share with friends and family and attract bees. Bees are so important for our ecosystem and are a good indication that your garden is growing healthy plants! They love nectar rich flowers, herbs and fruit trees. A great tip for anyone growing fresh produce is to bring them to work to swap & share- at Ethique HQ, we all try to bring along any excess homegrown goodies to share around! Whatever your goal is to do this year – don’t be too hard on yourself if you slip! Happy New Year from us all at Ethique.