Earth Week - Try Something New!
Happy Earth Week everyone! While I’d love that “Every Day is Earth Day”, we all know it sometimes takes setting aside a special day to call importance to an event.
So this week, it’s a call to action: Try something new! There’s so much you can do to make a small difference for our planet. Chances are, you have ideas on how to make a small change, it’s just doing it that has got you stuck.
Our lives are surrounded by ways we can make a positive change for the planet. Think about it: the environment is affected in nearly all areas of our lives -
The products we buy
Our water usage
Our waste stream (both bodily and materially)
Our energy consumption
Our jobs
Our families
Our recreation activities
Our houses and yards
Choosing even just one of these areas to make a change will make a difference. We don’t need some people to do all of the things. We need all of the people to do some of the things.
Still need some ideas? I’ve got 52 of them below - you could choose a new one every week of the next year and see what happens!
Use a refillable water bottle
Buy used toys/clothing from FB Marketplace
Bring your own container to the deli
Use cloth to wrap your gifts
Switch to unbleached coffee filters
Donate clothes/toys/household goods instead of throwing away
Use old socks for household rags
Use both sides of paper
Visit your library instead of buying new books
Make dog toys out of old towels or socks
Adjust your thermostat up or down one degree
Work in an area of your home with natural lighting
Wash full loads of clothes in cold water
Turn off lights when leave a room
Turn off your laptop at night
Save glass jars to use for storage containers
Watch a nature or environmental documentary
Wash a full load of dishes in your dishwasher
Carpool
Consolidate your errands
Buy 100% recycled paper products
Compost your food waste
Say no to a single-use straw
Recycle glass, aluminum, paper, cardboard and correct plastics
Pack reusable containers for your lunch
Use cloth napkins
Use real silverware and wash it
Bring your plastic film bags to the grocery store for recycling
Turn off the water when not needed
Choose foods/products with less packaging
Try to buy locally grown foods
Consolidate your Amazon orders into one shipment
Build a bird house or bird feeder
Plant a pollinator garden
Put up a bat house
Grow plants indoors
Pull invasive species in your area
Go for a bike ride
Bring a bag and gloves when you go for a walk and pick up garbage
Inflate your car tires to the correct pressure
Read an environmentally-themed book (check my list of favorites!)
Dry your clothes outside
Change lightbulbs to LEDs
Turn on a fan instead of the air conditioning
Put on a sweater or socks instead of turning up the heat
Cut up leftover fruits and vegetables and freeze for soups or smoothies
Clean out the lint filter each time you use the clothes dryer
Think before you buy: do you NEED it?
Find out if your community has a sustainability plan
Take old appliances to a recycling event
Grow your own food or herbs
Take your own bags to the store for both groceries and produce