44 Ways to Help Our Planet

Earth

44 Ways to Help Our Planet

In honor of the 44th Earth Day this week, I thought it might be
helpful to some to write a post about simple ways to conserve, recycle
and restore. It seems that sometimes people feel overwhelmed by the
“going green” concept and don’t know where to begin. Here are 44 ideas
that are simple and realistic and can collectively make a significant
impact on our planet! Maybe even find one that seems doable to you and
add that to your routine this year. A small difference can go a long
way.

CONSERVE WATER
1) Shorten your shower time
2) Turn water off while brushing teeth
3) Do not rinse dishes before putting them in dishwasher
4) Avoid/limit baths
5) Water lawns in morning or evening when water is less likely to
evaporate in heat/sun

CONSERVE ENERGY
6) Turn off lights when no one is using them.
7) Turn off computer at night, instead of leaving it in sleep mode.
8) Do all laundry in warm or cold water.
9) Only do laundry when you have a full load.
10) Only run the dishwasher when it’s full.
11) Hang dry clothes.
12) Take the stairs instead of the elevator.
13) When possible, walk or bike instead of driving.
14) Use compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs).
15) Keep your freezer fully stocked.
16) Airdry your hair.

CONSERVING RESOURCES
17) Try to avoid using paper towels in public restrooms: air dry hands instead!
18) Minimize amount of toilet paper used.
19) Print double-sided to save on paper use.
20) Stop paper bills and pay them online.
21) Donate clothes and other items.
22) Cancel newspaper subscription and read news online.
23) Get e-tickets for flights and for movies.
24) Use water (8parts) and white vinegar (1part) as your go-to
household cleaner instead of store bought cleaners.
25) Use coconut oil for multiple uses! As a moisturizer, hair
conditioner, anti-fungal cream, natural sunscreen (SPF of 4), tooth
whitener, deodorant, and the list goes on. Not to mention how
delicious and healthy it is in cooking and baking!

RECYCLE/REUSE
**We love the site reuseit.com for many of our reusable items.
26) Buy reusable baggies to use instead of plastic baggies. Saves
money in long run as well!
27) Consider using cloth napkins and rags instead of paper towels and
paper napkins.
28) Buy a set of reusable (ie bamboo) utensils to use when eating
lunch at work or having a picnic, rather than plasticware.
29) Use cloth, not disposable, sponges.
30) Buy a long-lasting razor, and no more plastic disposable ones.
31) Reduce the number of paper napkins you grab or use when dining out.
32) Do NOT buy bottled water! Use a reusable water bottle.
33) Use or encourage friends to use cloth diapers an wipes instead of
disposable (again, also a money saver in the long run!)
34) RECYCLE!!
35) Use reusable grocery and produce bags.
36) Reuse jars, plastic containers, bottles, etc in your home (ie jars
for storing homemade nut butters or trail mix; plastic containers
(such as yogurt containers) are great toys for kids or places to store
nuts or dried fruit; glass bottles can be used as vases or for
infusing oils)
37) Use newspapers, magazines, or recycled wrapping paper for wrapping gifts.
38) Take your reusable coffee mug to the coffee shop – they will
refill it for you, and you may even get a discount!

SUSTAIN/RESTORE
39) Plant an herb and/or vegetable garden.
40) Compost.
41) Support local economy and shop at farmers markets.
42) Buy fresh, local, an organic.
43) Buy house plants and plant trees.

44) Educate yourself and others about our environment and what we can
do to help!

What are some ways that you stay “green”?

-Suzanne