How do you plan to celebrate Earth Day on April 22? I plan to go out with friends to help plant trees in a nearby park. I love working together with others to beautify our city. This week, I thought I’d suggest some things you could do on Earth Day as well as on every other day of the year!
22 Ways to Be Green for Earth Day
- Create a compost pile. You can put all sorts of items in your compost pile, such as vegetable trimmings, fruit peels, eggshells, grass clippings, and leaves. I like to put old coffee grounds on my compost pile. By establishing a compost pile, you are adding nutrients to the soil and decreasing the amount of trash that ends up in a landfill.
- Recycling Plastic Bottles. Designate a special container in your kitchen for empty plastic bottles that will go to the recycling center. This will reduce the number of plastic bottles that go into landfills.
- Install Timers on Outdoor Lights. You can save electricity by installing timers on lights that illuminate your porch, driveway, or deck. It’s easy to forget to turn off outside lights before leaving the house in the morning. Installing a timer will prevent your outdoor lights from burning electricity needlessly if you forget to switch them off.
- Invest in Reusable Bags for Grocery Shopping. Many grocery stores have reusable fabric bags available to their shoppers. Using reusable bags helps cut down on the number of plastic and paper bags that are thrown away.
- Use LED Bulbs. Switch the traditional bulbs in your lamps and other light fixtures to energy-saving LED bulbs.
- Find Ways to Reuse Water. Hydrate your houseplants with the water in your dehumidifier or the melted ice in your drink cooler. Or pour the leftover water in your water glass into your pet’s water bowl instead of down the sink.
- Participate in Volunteer Activities That Benefit the Environment. Volunteer to care for a garden in a local park or clean up litter next to a busy highway.
- Buy Used Items. Buying used furniture, garden tools, clothing, or even a used car gives new life to items that are still in good condition.
- Purchase Energy Star Appliances. You’ve probably seen refrigerators, dishwashers, and other appliances that display an Energy Star sticker. These appliances are designed to use a minimal amount of energy while achieving their purpose.
- Teach Kids About Water and Energy Conservation. If you’re a parent, you can teach your children to do simple things like turn off the water in the bathroom as they brush their teeth or remind them to turn off the lights in a room as they leave. Help them to get into the habit of being environmentally friendly.
- Combine Trips in the Car. Help reduce air pollution by accomplishing all of your errands in one car trip.
- Avoid Using Chemicals on Your Lawn. When chemicals are applied to a lawn, they can end up in nearby creeks and rivers. Choose environmentally friendly lawn treatments when caring for your grass.
- Plant Trees. Trees add oxygen to the air and absorb carbon dioxide. Plus, they serve as homes for birds, squirrels, and other animals.
- Recycle Plastic Bags. If you have a supply of plastic bags from the grocery store, make the decision to recycle them. Check with your local grocery store to see if they have a recycling bin for their used plastic bags.
- Recycle Your Old Electronics. Look for places that recycle electronics and load up your car with old televisions, computers, printers, and radios. Give these items new life and keep them from going into the landfill.
- Take a Walk. If you live within walking distance of work, the library, or a store, try walking there instead of driving. This reduces the amount of air pollution in our atmosphere and gives you a chance to enjoy nature!
- Don’t Flush Medications Down the Toilet. Don’t flush unused pills down your toilet. These prescription drugs can find their way into the water system. Instead, look for a pharmacy that takes back unused pills to dispose of them in the proper way.
- Get an Energy-Saving Thermostat. Today, you can get a thermostat that regulates the heat and the air conditioning in your home. This thermostat saves energy while maintaining a comfortable atmosphere in the house.
- Pay Attention to Packaging. Avoid purchasing items that use an excessive amount of plastic for packaging. It’s a good rule of thumb to only purchase things with very simple packaging.
- Shut Off the Car Engine in a Traffic Jam. If you’re sitting in a line of traffic that isn’t moving at all, be sure to shut off the engine. An idling engine needlessly expends a lot of pollution into the air.
- Put a Timer on Your Lawn Sprinkler. A timer can help you to avoid using too much water to nourish your lawn.
- Reuse Plastic Bottles. Instead of taking a plastic bottle to the recycling center, you can reuse it in your home. Use a plastic bottle to make a coin bank for your child, or use it to make an interesting craft or science project for school.
Photo via http://ow.ly/4mTLYu
I hope you can try one or more of these ideas. Happy Earth Day!