Every day is Earth Day!
Today is a great day to think all of the very small steps you can take every day to be better for the Earth. Living life to the fullest should not mean that you live it like there is no tomorrow. Living life to the fullest means that you enjoy today, but you plan for the future and you make responsible choices in your everyday life. I think paying attention to ecological issues and green living is not necessary about big choices we make, but living eco-conscious life means that you make small green choices everyday. It’s more about commitment than anything else.
15 Easy Ways You Can Do Every Day to Save the Earth
1. Don’t buy anything disposable.
Use lunch boxes instead of zip-lock bags. Take your coffee in a thermos, not in a paper cup. Buy rechargeable batteries. And never ever buy paper plates, cups or utensils. Like never.
2. Ditch the kitchen paper towels.
Use a sponge to wipe the kitchen counter – not paper towels. Get cute kitchen towels and use them to dry hands, or counter tops. Fabric napkins work in the kitchen too instead of paper towels.
3. Use non-toxic cleaning detergent and buy it concentrated.
Try the
Young Living Thieves concentrated cleaner. The Thieves cleaner has ingredients from renewable plant and mineral sources, vegetable-based surfactants, and Thieves and lemon essential oils for extra cleaning power. Bottle is 100% recyclable. The dilution ratios are high, like light degreasing is 60:1, making one bottle last for a long time!
3. Pay attention to product packaging.
Choose products with less packaging, and with packaging made with recycled materials. Buy in bulk and not individually wrapped products.
4. Reuse or recycle the packaging or boxes you get.
Jelly jars are great for crayons, and I fill them with homemade jam or sugar scrubs. Egg cartons are great fire starters and perfect for kids’ crafts.
5. Reduce mail.
Don’t order catalogs, see the products and shop online.
6. Buy less but better quality.
Buy better quality products, which will last longer. Stop going to cheap stores like the Dollar Store to buy cheap products that most likely have been made environmentally questionable way, flown from China and will not last longer than two weeks and then they end up to landfills. This is not saving you money, it is wasting money, and ruining the environment.
7. Repair old items instead of just throwing away and buying a new one.
Call the manufacturers, most have repair services. Try finding easy ways to fix things by searching instruction videos on YouTube.
8. Recycle your old things.
Recycle unused clothing, homeware, and pretty much everything by donating it or selling it on yard sales, eBay or Craigslist.
9. Save water.
Only wash full loads of dishes or clothes. Sweep your driveway instead of hosing it. Don’t let the water run while brushing your teeth. And take your car to a car wash, instead of washing it at home, the car wash will use much less water than what you would. Take showers together with your spouse, it might have unexpected fringe benefits too.
10. Save energy.
Get Energy Star rated appliances and light bulbs. Turn off the lights/monitor/TV/etc. when you leave the room.
11. Choose lower emission vehicles and drive less.
Don’t keep the car running while waiting for your kids in the school pick-up line, carpool with friends, and make a shopping list to avoid many trips.
12. Buy organic.
Fewer pesticides and fertilizers. No antibiotics, growth hormones, and feed made from animal parts. Better for you, better for Mother Earth.
13. Bring your own shopping bag.
Stop the plastic bag waste, and never shop without your reusable shopping tote. If plastic shopping bags are unavoidable, reuse them by using them as trash bags, and never purchase trash bags again.
14. Make your own body scrubs.
Avoid exfoliating face scrubs with plastic microbeads, they will just end up in the water supply. Make your own body scrub with sugar and oils (try: sugar, olive oil, and Lemon essential oil).
15. Wash your hair less often or start using non-toxic shampoos.
Reduce the flow of dangerous PCPP chemicals to our water supply. Better yet, don’t even buy shampoos with toxins in them. Try the “no-poo” hair wash and use 2 teaspoons of baking soda mixed with a cup of water to wash your hair and 2 teaspoons of Apple cider vinegar mixed with a cup of water to rinse it off. Or buy only
shampoos made with plant-based ingredients.
