The 12-Month Green Reset: one small green step for every month of 2026

Sustainable living shouldn't be a major challenge. Often we see it as spending hours comparing labels, wondering whether a product is really as green as promised, or paying way too much for something. At Grace is Green, we do everything we can to make a sustainable lifestyle accessible to everyone.

To make it easier for you, we've developed a small guide with 12 steps for 2026. One small step each month with a really big impact. Read on and discover how you can contribute to a more sustainable world in 2026.

January - Starting with conscious consumption

We're starting 2026 with conscious consumption. Don't worry, this is much easier than you think. It starts with small habits: this month, for example, first look at what you already have at home and postpone purchases that aren't really necessary. Is something broken? Then visit a repair café! Here you can (often for free) have broken items like TVs, laptops and toasters repaired by a hobbyist.

Is something truly beyond repair? Don't throw it away, but donate it to a thrift store. They can often repair items and sell them on at a fair price to people who can really use them. Sometimes you even get some money back for it!

February - Zero-waste kitchen and bathroom

In February, take a look in the kitchen at your waste. Many people forget this when it comes to sustainability, but reducing and separating waste can yield tremendous environmental benefits!

Often you produce the most waste in the kitchen or bathroom. Try replacing one disposable product with a reusable alternative this month. Think, for example, of aluminum foil that you normally use to wrap your sandwiches. With a reusable sandwich wrap, you reduce your CO2 footprint by about 500 times.

Or think about your baby wipes in the bathroom, which you can easily replace with Cheeky Wipes reusable wipes. This way you're not only doing good for the environment, but you also prevent irritations and allergies caused by the perfume in regular baby wipes.

March - Sustainable care routine

Many regular care products contain unnecessary ingredients and have non-recyclable packaging. To make the cream or gel thicker, a different color or more foamy, they often also contain all kinds of chemicals. These are difficult for the environment to break down. They can also irritate the skin or trigger allergies.

Sustainable care products have all kinds of benefits that regular care products don't have: they contain no perfume or colorants, are often recyclably packaged and aren't made with unnecessary chemicals. Moreover, they're often made from all kinds of great ingredients like shea butter, jojoba, maple bark or even blueberries!

Try a sustainable care product in March. Think of a face cream, sunscreen or shampoo. You'll notice the difference after just a few weeks.

April - Reusable menstrual products

Menstrual products create a lot of waste and are often made from unclear materials or with microplastics. Therefore, choose a reusable menstrual product in April. You can easily try it out with, for example, a menstrual cup, washable pads or period underwear.

These products last for years, are better for your body and create much less waste. It's a small change, but with lasting impact. For the earth, but also for your wallet.

May - More sustainable on the go

Almost summer vacation, vacation pay, you see the sun more often than the clouds; it's May! Just keep going until your next vacation. While you're doing that, you can also use the month of May to pause and think about your daily travels. Commuting back and forth between home and work - whether you do this by public transport or car - can be made a lot more pleasant with our sustainable products.

What's better, for example, than a hot cup of coffee in traffic, on the platform or while walking? Then use our Kaffeeform coffee cup made from recycled Berlin coffee grounds. Are you looking for refreshment instead, with a cool smoothie, bottle of water or homemade iced tea? Then take a look at our Bioloco insulated bottles. These keep your drink cool for up to 12 hours!

June - Sustainable food

What we eat has a lot of impact. Think about the origin of the ingredients, the method of production and the amount of packaging involved. Therefore, in June, make a small adjustment to your diet. For example, try eating completely plant-based one day a week for a few weeks.

Using local products or reducing food waste also contributes to your awareness. We offer all kinds of fun children's tableware at Grace, check it out soon! Tip: use the Too Good To Go app. Here, over 180,000 businesses now sell their surplus food to combat food waste.

July - Plastic-free at home

Plastic is everywhere. It's in our packaging, but nowadays also in all kinds of care products in the form of microplastics. Tip: scan all your care products with the PlasticFreeFuture app. It was created by the Plastic Soup Foundation and immediately shows whether an ingredient in your product contains microplastics.

Our care products, for example from Derma Eco, are certified microplastic-free. You can see this, for example, from the Nordic Swan Ecolabel. We offer all kinds of sustainable replacements for your regular products, from shampoo to wax and toothpaste! Check out our ecological care products now.

August - Conscious shopping

In 2026, August is about choosing better, not buying more. Do you really need something? Then pause and consider whether you can borrow something, buy it secondhand or choose a product of better quality that lasts longer.

Tip: visit a green shop in your neighborhood. This can be a thrift store, but also a larger chain like books4life. They have secondhand bookstores in Nijmegen, Amsterdam and Utrecht for prices of only 5 euros! In Nijmegen there has also been The Sustainable Department Store since 2014, with a large range of sustainable kitchenware and sustainable fashion.

Looking for more sustainable clothing? The chain appel & ei sells secondhand clothing as new, affordable and beautiful.

September - Saving water

Water is often overlooked when it comes to doing good things for the environment. It's important to save water because climate change is creating increasing water scarcity, while demand is actually rising. This can be done in various ways, for example by eating a little less meat. Did you know that beef requires an average of about 15,000 liters of water, and pork about 6,000? So you can achieve a lot of savings there.

Using a reusable water bottle also contributes your bit. It's becoming increasingly common to have one with you. Tip: the Refill app shows you the nearest place to fill your water bottle. This way you quickly get rid of all those plastic bottles - better for the environment and your wallet!

October - Saving energy

Winter time! The clock goes back an hour. That means an extra hour in bed, or starting your sustainable day a bit earlier. It's also slowly getting darker, with a later sunrise and earlier sunset. The colder months have begun and winter is approaching.

With the colder months in sight, this is the ideal moment to examine your energy consumption. Can you replace a light bulb with the more economical LED? This is the moment for a smart thermostat and to really turn off your devices completely by unplugging them. Better for the environment and your wallet!

November - Evaluating sustainable habits

So much has happened this year! Hopefully our tips have been useful in making your habits more sustainable. November is a good moment to pause and look back: which steps have you taken, what worked well and what will you keep in 2027?

Don't worry: it's not about absolutes, guilt or perfection. By reviewing your habits from time to time, you can actually make a whole lot of impact with small changes. That's why it's extra important to look back at 2026 this month.

December - Green gifts

December is a month of giving! Sinterklaas, Christmas and New Year's Eve, they're moments of coming together and that sometimes includes a small gift. This year choose gifts that last longer, are reusable or have a fair, local story. This way you close the year with impact, and start the next year off right! Check out our sustainable gifts here.

Sustainable living in 2026 doesn't have to be perfect. With these 12 steps, you make a conscious choice with impact every month. Discover verified sustainable products at Grace is Green and make sustainability easier, for yourself and for the planet.