2018 is just around the corner, and with it the promise of a fresh new year’s resolution to fulfil. Instead of half-heartedly committing to losing weight or getting fit, this year choose a resolution for the wild.

By making a few small lifestyle changes you can have a hugely positive impact on our planet and the wildlife that calls it home.

Drink your coffee from a reusable mug

Coffee tastes better in a reusable cup! Disposable coffee cups appear to be made of paper, but majority have a thin plastic lining making them unrecyclable. Aussies use 1 billion of these disposable cups every year.

Commit to drinking your coffee out of a reusable cup next year and you’ll be diverting around 500 cups from landfill.

Opt for sustainable seafood

Almost 90% of the world’s fish stocks are depleted, overexploited or fished up to their limit. However, it’s possible to enjoy a great meal and help protect our oceans at the same time.

By choosing seafood certified as sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council, your supporting fisheries doing the right thing and helping ensure an ocean-friendly future.

Learn more about the MSC eco-label here.

Choose naked fruit and vegetables 

Every year, more than 300 million tonnes of plastic is produced – majority of which is single-use.

When you’re at the supermarket, pick loose fruit and vegetables instead of produce wrapped in plastic packaging.   You can even head to your local farmers’ market for delicious, locally sourced and plastic-free produce.

Recycle that old mobile phone

Mining for conflict minerals, especially coltan – a mineral found in mobile phones- is accelerating the loss of mountain gorillas at an alarmingly fast rate.

About 70% of Australians have an old mobile phone at home, and most Australians update their handset every eighteen months. By simply recycling your old mobile phone, your helping divert precious resources from landfill and reducing the pressure on gorilla habitat.

You can get learn more about Taronga’s mobile phone recycling program here.

Go wild more often 

From untouched forests teeming with wildlife to remote sprawling coastlines, Australia is home to some of the most incredible landscapes. Get outdoors and experience them for yourself by visiting one of the many National Parks around NSW.

There’s no better way to appreciate the beauty of the Aussie Bush.

Buy yourself a reusable water bottle 

Plastic bottles can take 450 years to break up, and while most plastic bottles are recyclable, currently only 1 in every 5 plastic bottles actually makes it into the recycling stream.

Be the solution to plastic pollution in 2018 by using a reusable bottle.

Ride, car-pool or take public transport to work 

By 2050, emissions from transport could account for between 30 and 50% of total global carbon emissions.

Ride your bike or walk to work, or car pool with some colleagues in 2018. Doing so even once a week can make the world of difference to our planet.

Make your garden wildlife friendly 

As our cities expand, our local wildlife's habitat is beginning to shrink. You can help provide a home for wildlife in your backyard by planting native trees and flowers.

Say ‘no’ to plastic straws

Australians use 2.7 billion straws a year! Saying no to straws when you’re out and about seems like such a simple action, but taking steps like this really do make an enormous difference to our environment.

Commit to conserving our forests

You can help ensure we have forests for the future by choosing Forest Stewardship Certified (FSC) certified timber and paper products. By doing so, you’ll know the products you’ve purchased are from forests that are managed in a way that takes care of the animals and plants that call it home.