12 easy ways to embrace Earth day all year long
Here are 10 ways you can ease into Earth Day:
1. Consider growing some of your own food – you can start small, regrow romaine lettuce from your scraps(photos below, just pop the base into about 1.5 inches of water and place in partial shade). If you want to take it a bit further try basil or mint in a pot. You are eliminating packaging, truck emissions from the transport. Plus your kids will see where food comes from (and its not a box). If you want help planning and planting your garden Jack with Urban Abundance was a HUGE help for us to get our garden growing. SO satisfying! And if you are ready for the advanced level, add a composter.
2. If you use paper napkins or paper towels for home meals, switch to washable ones. Get the kids involved.
3. Quit with plastic water bottles. Bring a bottle with you, and another for the kids. Bring a coffee tea cup with you are a Starbucks person. They gladly refill it for you. I have yet to have a restaurant tell me no when I order an ice tea and have it in the cup with straw that I bring. Consider bringing your own to go box too. I keep a collapsable Tupperware in my purse in case of leftovers, because I LOVE not cooking. Ha. Think about lunch packing too, see if you can slow your disposable packaging usage. This lunchbox is a great way to force less waste. If you are like me, you like straws – but not to fret, straws are not dead. Just bring your own. The WonderSip straw is always in my purse… or my drink! An easy way to still have great water is this filer system. It can be moved, I use ours at home, in the RV and more.
4. Buy pantry items like flour, oats, nuts, in bulk. One World Zero Waste and Whole Foods offers the opportunity to buy bulk. This saves the packaging and the price is better too. Simply bring your containers to the store, have them weighed at customer service and go fill them up. Whole Foods and One World Zero Waste offer bulk options as well. Oh and the satisfaction of the perfect container! Ahh!
5. Make your produce last longer. Supra Endura’s focus is making sustainable and stylish home goods that can also help you save. Their Beeswax wraps (no more plastic wrap) and Swedish dishcloths(bye plastic scrubbers) are reusable, made from organic and natural materials, and last a long time.
6. Buy smart – you are voting with your dollars. These two options (I have both set up on auto ship) are great waste reducers and just as easy as Amazon: Drops laundry detergent and toilet paper, paper towels and tissues from Who Gives a Crap? (that link gives you $10 off your first order) Funny name I know but they make great paper with less waste and do good at the same time.
7. Check out One World Zero Waste in Tequesta. This is a great store and you get to shop local. They will gladly take the time to help you learn how to make shifts that can make a big difference. In addition to great items like a composter, glass jars, and so on they also have delish fresh nut “milks” and classes in things like worm composting, making your own milk and more.
8. Gelo’s Hand Soap Refill Pods are packed with super concentrated cleansers, plant-based ingredients, and essential oils.
The biodegradable refills and reusable bottles help make for clean hands & a small footprint on our earth, without breaking the bank.
9. Get your kids bought in. When they ask for an LOL doll ask them if they wouldn’t like to put that $12 towards a trip to Lion Country Safari, remind them the amount of plastic that goes straight into the garbage for a toy that brings limited joy. Let them see the impact of plastic. Do a beach cleanup – just grab a bucket and a little persons hand and go- its actually fun! Consider adoption a turtle from Loggerhead Marine Life, or a pass to the Zoo or Science Museum as a birthday gift for gifting at kids birthday parties in lieu of picking up something from Target. We also love giving the NatGeo kids magazine subscription for year round nature – the gift that keeps on giving.
10. We love books to help with big ideas too. The Lorax by Dr Seuss, Me… Jane by McDonald, Rhino in the House by Kirk, The Tree Lady by Hopkins and McElmurry, Miss Fox’s Class Goes Green by Spinelli, The Bee Book by Milner, The Things That I LOVE about TREES by Butterworth. I could go on and on here I am a BOOK-A-HOLIC.
What are your favorite earth friendly books?
11. See if you can quit fast fashion. Nuuly makes that so easy and FUN. It is so tempting to grab that cute silly Tee at Target but do you know how it was made? Did chemicals and dyes pour back into our waterways as it was made? Will you wear it twice then it will live in a landfill? Do you really need it? I know, party pooper but you probably will still have a great day without it. Parous local Consigment stores like WearLuv in North Palm, CityGirl Consigment in West Palm, The RealReal in Palm Beach, or Delray’s 2nd Time Around.
12. How about this lesson on the Everglades.
Tell us your tips!
We wish you the happiest of Earth Days friends! We love sharing this planet with you!
