10 Easy Tips to Celebrate Earth Day (and Every Day!)
Friday, April 22 is Earth Day, and that means carving out time to thank our beautiful planet for all it provides us. If you’re looking for more ways to live an eco-friendly lifestyle, you’re not alone! Just a few simple tweaks in how we live our daily lives can go a long way in helping care for our planet, and future generations. Read on for Calcagni Real Estate’s top easy tips to celebrate Earth Day—and every day of the year.
Make a reusable water bottle your new best friend
We’re all trying to hydrate more these days, and that’s great. But if you’re reaching for single use plastic bottles to help quench your thirst, consider this: According to nrdc.org, “We produce 300 million tons of plastic each year worldwide, half of which is for single-use items. That’s nearly equivalent to the weight of the entire human population.”
And while you may have the best intentions to recycle those bottles, plastic forks and knives or even straws, “Recycling more plastic, more frequently, reduces its footprint. Polyethylene terephthalate, one of the most commonly recycled plastics and the material that makes up most water and soda bottles, can be turned into everything from polyester fabric to automotive parts. But a whopping 91 percent of all plastic isn’t recycled at all. Instead it ends up in landfills or in the environment. Single-use plastics in particular—especially small items like straws, bags, and cutlery—are traditionally hard to recycle because they fall into the crevices of recycling machinery and therefore are often not accepted by recycling centers.”
One of the best (and easiest!) ways to honor Earth Day this year is to invest in a reusable water bottle. Look for an aluminum bottle that can keep liquid hot and cold and fill it up before you head out for the day. Refill at your desk throughout the day, top your bottle off at your airport’s water bottle filling station, and reach for the reusable bottle to keep the kids hydrated during their sports games, too. Pretty soon, it will become a habit that’s great for the planet AND your wallet!
Unsubscribe to catalogues with the touch of an app
If your mailbox is anything like ours, you are (perpetually) shocked at how many random catalogues are delivered to your address on any given day. This Earth Day, take matters into your own hands—literally!—with a click of the PaperKarma app. This app allows you to opt out of receiving catalogues, credit card applications, local mailers, charity donation requests and more. Save the trees—and your sanity—with a click of your smartphone.
Repurpose old crayons
Who says kids can’t get it on the recycling game? Teach them to love Mother Earth while they’re young by repurposing old crayons to create new (and fun!) colors. Not only can you create new crayons for the kids to color with, but this list has some super fun ways to make candles, ornaments, even painted rocks for the garden. Colorful AND cool.
Commit to composting
One way to combat climate change on Earth Day and every day? Keep food scraps out of landfills. If you’ve ever marveled at how much trash your Connecticut household generates, you’re not alone. Cut back on waste by committing to composting! Whether you live in an apartment or a larger home, you can take the lead on helping to combat climate change and care for the Earth. And bonus: Composting makes for healthy soil in which to grow your fruits and veggies.
New to composting? Start here to learn what to compost, and how. Before you know it, you’ll be the neighborhood expert. Pass on your knowledge and pat yourself on the back for being a steward for the planet!
Eat what’s in season
We’ve all become spoiled by the abundance of fresh produce available to us any time of year. Fresh, sweet berries in the miserable depths of our Connecticut winter? Yes, please. But eating out of season is actually an ecological burden—and one that’s easy to remedy.
Seasonal eating means eating what’s in season in our geographical area. Not only does eating what’s in season guarantee more flavorful and vitamin-rich foods, but it helps cut back on the energy required to grow foods that aren’t in season. According to WebMd, “Growing food outside of their natural season only works when humans artificially create seasonal weather conditions. The fossil fuels (nonrenewable energy) and large amounts of water needed to do this have a negative impact on the environment. Growing crops seasonally doesn’t require these resources. For example, compare recreating summer heat during the winter to grow summer crops instead of using only the heat from the sun. Seasonal growing requires much less energy.”
Not sure what’s considered “in season” in Connecticut? Check out this handy guide to help you out.
Make your K-cups seed starters
Readying your garden for spring and summer? Don’t throw away your K-cups! Those coffee pods are perfect for reusing as seed starters. Not only will the used coffee grounds benefit your soil, but the containers themselves can help you get a leg up on growing your seedlings. How cool is that? Learn how in this post .
Install a rain barrel
If you love caring for your lawn, consider installing a rain barrel. This device helps you harvest rainwater to use later to help water your lawn (thereby cutting down on water waste), and may prevent excess water from finding its way into your basement or crawl space, as well.
If you’re new to the rain barrel concept or just aren’t sure how to go about choosing one and installing it, Lowes has helpful hints here . Why not make a trip to your local hardware retailer on Earth Day and check out which rain barrel is best for your Connecticut home?
Send e-vites and online invitations
For many of us, the thought of sending an invitation to a celebration means sending paper stock through the mail. But the genius of sites like Paperless Post is that you can design beautiful invitations without relying on paper made from trees—and that’s a great way to celebrate Earth Day and beyond. Not only do these sites save paper, but they allow you to track RSVPs, notify guests of any updates or changes, and even include directions or parking instructions. Easy, affordable, and eco-friendly: We love it!
Switch to online billing
Receiving paper bills and mailing checks may be an old habit that feels comfortable, but doing so relies on paper that—you guessed it!—is made from trees that would be better suited growing well into old age and helping prevent our planet from warming even further.
Make a commitment this Earth Day to go paperless! From credit card statements to monthly bank statements, you can save a lot of paper by switching to online billing. Plus, you have the added bonus of scheduling recurring payments so you’re never late to pay your bills. A win-win!
Rewild your lawn
If you haven’t heard of the “rewilding your lawn” movement, there’s no time like this Earth Day to become acquainted! In short, rewilding means allowing your yard to reclaim more of its natural state to help pollinators and native birds and plants to thrive again. It requires less time, water, and synthetic pesticides, and helps increase biodiversity.
Curious to learn more? Discover these 9 easy ideas to help bring you and your yard closer to nature this Earth Day!
