Every Earth Day you hear phrases like “plant a tree” and “recycle”; while these are both great things you can do, there are so many other changes you can make to help the environment. If you want to celebrate Earth Day by doing something to help the planet, here are eight little things you can do to get started today.
1. Use Reusable Shopping Bags
Plastic grocery bags take a long time to decompose. They end up in landfills or other parts of the environment, where animals may mistake them for food. An alternative is to invest in reusable shopping bags to use when you go to the grocery store.
2. Buy a Reusable Water Bottle and Straw
Water bottles and straws are two more things made of plastic that we are constantly using. These are often just thrown away and can cause harm, especially if you don’t recycle your plastics. Reusable water bottles can help reduce waste, plus they come in endless choices of colors and patterns.
3. Use Your Car Less
This one is tricky for a lot of us, but consider carpooling with coworkers or friends when going to your job or social events. Another alternative if your destination is close by is to walk or bike.
4. Limit Food Waste
Make a plan when you go to the grocery store to only buy what you need. Pay attention to expiration dates so you are not throwing away food that is past it’s date. When you dine out, take home your leftovers, and don’t just let them sit in your fridge until they go bad!
5. Craft With Used Materials
Many types of packaging that we would normally just throw away can be used for crafts. An egg carton becomes a paint palette. Cardboard boxes become a spaceship or a house. Shoe boxes can be turned into dioramas for school projects. Even toilet paper rolls can be turned into fun creations with a little creativity.
6. Limit Water Usage
Don’t turn on the shower until you are ready to get in, and limit your shower length to only the time you need. Turn off the faucet while you do things like brush your teeth and wash your face.
7. Save Electricity
Switch to energy efficient light bulbs, and turn off all lights when you go to bed or leave the house. Don’t leave computers and fans running all day long, and adjust the temperature in your house. Even one degree can make a difference. Hopefully this will lower your electric bill too!
8. Buy Secondhand
There are many things you can buy already secondhand such as furniture, books, and gently used clothing. This helps the environment by reducing packaging as well as reusing items that might have otherwise just been thrown away.
Now that you have some ideas to help our Earth, it’s time to make some changes. Let’s help protect our planet because we will be living here for many generations to come.
Share this post with your friends and family so they, too, have some ideas to work on while their quarantine comes to an end!
