Made any new year’s resolutions? The enormity of climate change and biodiversity loss can leave us as individuals feeling disempowered. Governments and industry aren’t acting fast enough to protect the planet, so it can feel like anything we do is a drop in the ocean. The challenge can feel overwhelming at times.
What is within our control is our own behaviour. Everyday choices and consistent habits matter. They can make us feel like we are taking back some control too. Better decisions taken one at a time, can create influence and change.
Here are five small things you can do for the planet in 2026 that aren’t hard, and they can save you some money too.
Less laundry
Not all clothes are dirty after being worn once. Too frequent washing increases electricity consumption, adds to water pollution and wears out your clothes more quickly. It’s making work for you and costing you money too.
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Change your underpants every day, but workout clothes can be worn three times before being washed, according to guidance from France’s Agency for Ecological Transition. Wear the same T-shirt for up to five days and your jeans 30 times before washing them. Bras can be worn seven times before being washed, advises the French agency.
[ How often should you wash your clothes? French officials have the answerOpens in new window ]
Ditch softener
Detergent companies are motivated to keep us on a hamster wheel of laundry. The more we wash, the more they sell. But fabric conditioners and clothes-scenting products are not as “clean” as they seem.
What is the pastel-coloured gloop or pellets made from? The concoction can include silicones, petrochemicals, ingredients to prolong shelf life and chemical scent. There is no law requiring full disclosure of the ingredients in fragrance. We really haven’t a clue what we’re wearing against our skin and inhaling.
Washing and drying clothes and sheets in this stuff can make them feel softer and reduce static, but there are health and environmental downsides. Just don’t use fabric softener or scent products. Your clothes will be just as clean and may even be cleaner without them. Our waterways will be cleaner too.
Swap deodorant
Switching to a differently packaged deodorant is an easy swap. Refillable, plastic-free deodorants with natural ingredients are gaining plenty of fans. Unlike single-use roll-on deodorants and sprays, you can use the casing of some of these stick-type deodorants over and over by inserting compostable refills that simply twist into place. The refills last about six weeks with daily use.
[ Is it right to buy deodorants in single-use containers forever?Opens in new window ]
Reusable cup
The Department of the Environment has let us down by reneging on the promised “latte levy”. The aim of the 20 cent tax on disposable coffee cups was to deter Irish consumers from dumping half a million disposable cups a day. Takeaway coffee cups are among the most common litter in Ireland.
If you think your takeaway cup is recyclable, think again – it’s estimated that only 1 per cent of cups marked as such end up being completely recycled. Many cups sold as “compostable” or “recyclable” are not, due to their plastic lining. There are only a few recycling plants that can cater for these mixed-use materials, meaning that 99 per cent of cups marked as “recyclable” will never make it to a recycling facility. Don’t be part of the problem. Buy yourself a reusable cup in 2026.
Save water
Reduce your shower time by just 60 seconds and you could save 15 litres of water with every shower. Water isn’t an unlimited resource. It comes from rivers, lakes, springs, wells and groundwater, and sourcing, treating, storing and distributing it to our taps uses a lot of energy and resources.
Uisce Éireann treats 1.7 billion litres of water for homes and businesses every day. Drinking water needs to meet European drinking water standards. There’s the cost of collecting and treating your wastewater, and its return to the environment too. Reduce your shower time by one minute and you can save more than 100 litres in a week. If yours is an electric shower, you’ll save money too.
[ How to save water: The average Irish person uses 133 litres a dayOpens in new window ]
When you’re making a cuppa, boil only what you need. Bord Gáis Energy estimates you could save €73 a year by doing so. Cheers to that.
