Earth Day is a global celebration to increase the awareness of Earth’s natural environment. Instead of appreciating Earth for only one day, we encourage you to spread awareness the whole month by focusing on the Three R’s: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. The Three R’s help to cut down on the amount of waste we create, conserve natural resources, and save money. When it comes to practicing the three R’s this month be sure to keep their hierarchy in mind.
THE THREE R’S
1. Reduce needless consumption and generation of waste
2. Reuse old products or give them to a person or charity that can utilize them
3. Recycle whatever discards remain if you can and only dispose of what you must
So let’s talk about Earth Day
Small changes can have a huge impact on the environment. Below is a list of things you can do to help preserve our beautiful planet. Participating in these activities will not only help you protect the environment, but they will also encourage you to add healthy habits to your routine.
• Plant a tree or join a community garden.
• Create your own herb garden: basil, rosemary, and mint are great plants to start with!
• Walk/bike/rollerblade/skateboard to run your errands.
• Use public transportation or carpool as often as possible.
• Opt to go paperless with your bills.
• Create a composting system at home: compost involves collecting organic waste, such as food scraps and yard trimmings, and storing it under conditions designed to help break it down naturally. The compost can then be used as a natural fertilizer for your garden.
• Use a reusable water bottle: Single-use bottles are limited when it comes to recycling. On average, Americans spend $346 a year on bottled water, so invest in yourself and your planet by purchasing a reusable water bottle!
• Eat less meat: choose at least one day of the week to go meatless! Eating less meat allows you to save money, eat a more plant-based diet, and help the environment.
• Reduce packaging by purchasing foods such as grains and cereals in large quantities or bulk. Avoid purchasing products that are individually packaged.
• Buy local: check out your local farmer’s market for produce that has usually traveled less than 150 miles and is picked less than 24 hours before.
• When ordering takeout, request no paper napkins if you have them at home or work.
• Switch the lights off when you leave the room and consider turning the A/C up when you aren’t home.
• Replace paper towels with washcloths or towels to clean up spills and messes around the house.
• Turn the faucet off while brushing your teeth.
• Use reusable Tupperware instead of disposable plastic baggies.
• Shut down your computer, monitor, and speakers when you leave the office. Unplug chargers when not in use.
• Print double-sided to reduce paper waste. You can also change the settings on your printer to “draft” to use less ink.
• Install a low-flow showerhead.
• Use CFL lightbulbs. They last much longer than traditional bulbs while using a quarter of the energy. 1
