So You Did Veganuary. What's Next?

January is over, and if you are one of the thousands of people who stopped eating animal-derived foods for the first 31 days of the year, you'll be celebrating completing the challenge (although for many participants, Veganuary isn't as challenging as they'd expected). Perhaps the experience left you energised and inspired, with a desire to do more good. So, aside from becoming a master at cooking tofu, where do we go next?

By Sascha Camilli: writer, speaker, activist, and vegan fashion expert. 

Someone who knows all about the power of Veganuary year-round is the campaign's CEO, Wendy Matthews. "Veganuary is more than a month - it’s a moment that reminds people their choices have real power," she says. "For many participants, it sparks something bigger: a sense of possibility, and a desire to help shift our food system toward something kinder, healthier, and more sustainable. My advice is to follow your curiosity and find the path that feels most authentic to you. That might mean learning more and sharing what you discover, following vegan creators who inspire you, volunteering at an animal sanctuary, supporting campaigns, or choosing vegan options beyond food, from fashion to beauty to household products."

Keep learning.

Presumably something prompted you to take on Veganuary in the first place - whether it was the notion of animals suffering for our dinner menus or the way animal agriculture contributes to the climate crisis, there is more to learn. Keep reading (good literature to stay informed includes Jonathan Safran Foer's Eating Animals and all of Ed Winters' books) and delve into documentaries such as Dominion and Earthlings (warning: both very graphic). Not ready for all the gore? Try Eating our Way to Extinction or Cowspiracy, for an honest take on the environmental impact of raising animals for consumption.

Go beyond the kitchen.

We're all tightening the purse strings in January, but if you find yourself shopping for clothing, beauty or cleaning products during the year, extend your newfound ethics to those areas too. Learn about cruelty-free certifications for personal-care products as well as home cleaning items, and dip your toe into vegan fashion - at Immaculate Vegan, you're in the best place to do so. Leave wool, leather, silk and cashmere on the shelf as you explore sustainable, plant-derived options such as organic cotton, Cupro, Tencel, and a vast array of plant leathers.  

Get into activism.

If you're deeply moved by what you've learned, you might be ready to take to the streets and get active. Aside from the educational and political power protests hold, they are also a way to connect with others who wish to make a change. Whether it's street outreach, old-school sit-ins or more theatrical demonstrations that appeal more to your personal style of activism, your local vegan group will have all the details. Find them on Facebook and sign up - it's also a great way to meet like-minded people. No local Facebook group? Start one and connect with vegans in your area.

Speak up where it matters.

Small changes matter - and your voice has the power to create change in your community. "Use your momentum where it has ripple effects," advises Matthews. "Ask for plant-based options at your workplace, school, or favourite café. One person requesting change can lead to permanent menu shifts that make choosing vegan easier for everyone after you." More plant-based foods can only mean good things, so use your influence and advocate for change.

Donate your money...

Whether you wish to donate to animal shelters or other causes, a donation is never too small and always makes a difference. Research your options for where you'd best like your money to go: contact the organisation before making your donation and find out their campaign objectives, what goals they have already achieved, and where their most urgent priorities lie. Keep in touch to stay updated on difference your donations are making. Not ready for all that commitment? Just taking a big bag of vegan food to your local food bank will do the trick.

...or your time.

There is more than one way to donate: instead of contributing financially, you could volunteer your time for organisations you believe in. From walking dogs at animal shelters to going on beach cleans, volunteering can be a great way to contribute to your chosen cause as well as meet like-minded people and gain mental-health benefits: a 2019 UK national survey has shown that three-quarters of volunteers have experienced improvements in their mental well-being. 

Matthews closes by reminding that no matter what you do, it has value. "The most important thing is this: you don’t have to do everything. You just have to do something, and keep going. Because when millions of people take their Veganuary momentum and turn it into action, that’s how a movement grows."

By Sascha Camilli

About Sascha

Sascha Camilli is a vegan writer, speaker and activist. Her book Vegan Style is out now on Murdoch Books. For more about Sascha, you can read our interview with her or sign up to her newsletter Kind of Wild. 

Cover image by Alexandra Andersson. Second photo by Jorge Maya. Third photo by Brett Jordan. All via Unsplash.

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