quick tips

25 ways to Celebrate Earth Day . . . every day!

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed in the face of climate change and environmental degradation. But there are actions we can take to do our part for the planet. Sometimes small steps can reverberate into something larger!

Here are 25 ways to get started.

1. Bring your own bags when you shop. 2. Buy milk and juice in glass bottles that can be reused or recycled. 3. Use cloth napkins. 4. Switch to bamboo toothbrushes. 5. Replace cling wrap with beeswax wrap. 6. Carry a reusable water bottle and a travel mug for coffee/ tea. 7. Swap out your liquid soap for old-fashioned bar soap. 8. Opt for fruit, vegetables, grains, and beans. Skipping just one day of meat and dairy products cuts your annual carbon footprint by eight pounds! 9. Reduce food waste by planning meals in advance, freezing what you don’t use, and eating leftovers. 10. Set your washing machine to cold. It’ll keep 500 pounds of carbon dioxide from entering the environment each year. 11. Look for Energy Star certification when buying new appliances. 12. Leaving the room (or the house)? Turn off the lights! 13. Turn your water heater down to 120 and save 550 pounds of carbon dioxide a year. 14. Add a layer of clothing in the winter instead of turning the heat up. 15. Drive less, walk more.

Or bicycle, carpool, or take the bus. 16. Combine errands to limit driving time. 17. Sign up for paperless billing. 18. Use smart phone apps to take notes, scan documents, keep lists, and the like. 19. Buy toilet tissue made from recycled paper. 20. Wrap gifts in cloth. 21. Avoid chemical pesticides and herbicides; use natural means to keep bugs away from people and plants. 22. Fertilize with your own compost. 23. Collect rainwater from your roof in a rain barrel, and use it to water your plants and crops. 24. Replace some or all of your lawn with ornamental grasses, wildflowers, or native plants. 25. Plant a tree, or two or three.

Trees purify the air and supply homes for wildlife.

SELECTED SOURCES “22 affordable zero

waste & plastic free beauty products,”

www.TheGreenHubOnline.com • “30+ striking

ways to use less paper to save world’s

forests,” www.conserve-energy-future.com •

“The 35 easiest ways to reduce your carbon

footprint” by Renee Cho, Columbia University Earth Institute, https://blogs.ei.columbia.edu, 12/27/18 • “Earth-friendly gardening” by Pamela T. Hubbard, Penn State Extension, https://extension.psu.edu