The beginning of any new year allows for a new start. This new year is unique as it provides an opportunity to think about what the next decade might bring.

Thinking long term and making positive choices work together with sustainability.

Below are simple practices that can be considered to incorporate sustainability into your daily life in the new year.   

Simple sustainable practices

• Consider a rainwater barrel: Harvesting rainwater helps conserve water used for landscaping and protect waterways from polluted runoff.
• Increase waste diversion: Reusing materials, increasing recycling, composting food scraps, or donating goods are all ways to divert waste from the landfill.
• Consider alternative transportation modes: Biking, walking, driving an electric vehicle, or riding the bus, trolley, or train are all options that get you to your destination while also minimizing your greenhouse gas emissions.

The County of San Diego, through the Climate Action Plan (CAP), and regional partners are supporting these sustainable practices and more. You can find helpful information about each of these below:

• The County is hosting rain barrel distribution events in February 2020. To find out how you can obtain a discounted rain barrel, visit the Rain Barrel Information page of the Department of Public Works (DPW) website.
• DPW has established the Strategic Plan to Reduce Waste to increase solid waste diversion. Specifically, the ReThink Waste campaign encourages people to rethink what they consider waste. The goal of the campaign is to increase public awareness about recycling and waste reduction and increase residents' waste reduction behaviors by providing them with simple easy steps to reduce waste and improve their lives through saved time and money.
• I Love A Clean San Diego and the City of Encinitas are putting on a FREE Green Routines Workshop on Saturday, February 1, 2020 from 10:00 am – 12:00 pm at the EUSD Farm Lab in Encinitas (441 Quail Gardens Dr. Encinitas, CA 92024). The workshop is the first of a three-part series on how to adopt zero waste routine in various aspects of your lifestyle.
• On October 16, 2019 the County’s Board of Supervisors moved to support the implementation of the Electric Vehicle (EV Roadmap) by a vote of 5-0. The EV Roadmap contains 6 goals and 11 recommendations to move the County toward a more sustainable future.
• Instant permits for residential electric vehicle charging stations are available online.
• Find information about bus routes, trolley lines, and stop numbers at the Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) website. Additionally, MTS has begun the transition to a battery-electric fleet.
• The Coaster Commuter Rail, Sprinter Hybrid Rail, and the Breeze bus system can all be found on the North County Transit District website.

Happy new year!