It’s Earth Day! As a total geek for all things that have to do with helping the planet (shouldn’t we all be?), it’s an awareness day that I love bringing attention to.
[Thanks to my sister for rubbing this onto me… she’s a true nature lover and has been talking climate change since we were kids. She purchased this book You Can Change the World: The Kids’ Guide to a Better Planet for my kids last Christmas, and we’ll be taking advantage of the all the great tips as they grow.]
What’s good for the planet is typically good for our health too, so it’s a win-win. Earth is the only home we’ve got, so please, for the love of all things holy, let’s take care of her!! 🌎
Here are some ideas for developing environmentally friendly habits: 15 ways to live more sustainably
1. Recycle! We send way too much waste to landfills. Estimates suggest that is takes 450 years just for a single plastic bottle to decompose in a landfill.
2. Don’t drink out of plastic water bottles. Not only is it bad for the planet, but drinking out of plastic water bottles is bad for your health too. Glass or steel is the way to go! I re-use glass kombucha bottles as water bottles, keeping them filled and stashed in the fridge.
3. BYOB. Bring your own reusable bag when you shop.
4. Reuse rubber bands. Those little rubber bands that hold your asparagus and other bundles together… they really add up over time! I have a [large] rubber band ball that I keep adding them to. I’m not sure what I’ll ever need so many rubber bands for, but if the need arises, I’ll have plenty!
5. Avoid buying single-use items (i.e. Keurig cups, individual yogurt serving containers, razors, etc.).
6. Store your food in re-useable glass containers or silicone storage bags, rather than disposable plastic bags.
7. Compost, if possible! When I visited my sister out near Seattle a few years ago, I LOVED that the city had a compost law – all the houses and businesses had not only a garbage and recycling bin out front, but a compost bin too. There’s no law like that here in NY, and I don’t know of any compost pick-up company near me [though I have thought of staring one!], so I’ve started my own compost pile in my back yard, and WOW, the food scraps really add up! I love seeing that “garbage” slowly break down back into soil, and can’t wait to use it in the garden.
8. Donate or sell used items. Toys, clothes, appliances, furniture… whatever it is, chances are, if it’s still in decent condition, someone out there will want it and that would save it from sitting in a landfill for a lot of years to come. Used toys, clothing, and shoes can all be donated in those blue boxes you see outside of churches, etc. Appliances, furniture and household items can usually be donated at a Salvation Army, Goodwill, or other consignment location. Also, FaceBook Marketplace is great.
9. Choose organic when possible. The pesticides that get sprayed on our food not only negatively affect our health, but wreak havoc on the environment as well. While their intended use it often short lived, the chemicals used in pesticides linger in the air, ground, and water long after the job is done. They deplete our soil, and are detrimental to the bee population. We need the bees for our own survival! Yes, it’s generally more expensive, but so worth it to buy organic – especially when it comes to the dirty dozen! After all, we do vote with our dollars.
10. Choose environmentally friendly products. Try to choose products made with recycled or sustainable material, and avoid buying products with excess packaging (ugh, children’s toys come with WAY too much plastic packaging).
11. Shop local. Not only is it a great way to support your local community, but using local foods and ingredients purchased from somewhere like a farmer’s market helps assure what you’re eating is fresh. It also reduces your “food miles,”
and the amount of fuel it takes for your food to get to you.
12. Avoid disposable straws. We use these Flathead reusable silicone straws and love them.
13. Use cloth dish towels in the kitchen more often than paper towels.
14. Turn off/unplug electronics when not in use. It really does make a difference, and eventually, it just becomes a habit.
15. Simplify! Think before you buy… do you really need it? Choose quality over quantity, and consider the minimalist mentality.
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