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Celebrate Earth day with simple efforts
Posted on 22. Apr, 2009 by Jennifer in Prima Communications Blog
Today marks this year’s annual celebration of Earth day. As a “thank you” to our shared planet, we thought instead of our normal communication-focused post we’d offer some suggestions ranging from easy, everyday quick tips to challenging investments for “greening” your lifestyle and reducing your impact on our planet.
- Turn off the water when brushing your teeth.
- Switch from traditional incandescent light bulbs to compact florescent bulbs.
- Participate in your local community’s recycling program.
- Donate unwanted items to charity or Freecycle.
- Bring your own reusable bags for shopping instead of using store paper or plastic bags.
- Carry and refill a reusable water bottle instead of buying and disposing of single use bottles.
- Turn off the lights when you leave the room.
- Carpool or rideshare as much as possible.
- Install a programmable thermostat.
- Turn down your water heater when you leave for the day.
- Install low flow shower heads and faucets.
- Instead of sprinkling your lawn, use a drip irrigation system to deliver water directly to the plants’ roots.
- Bike, walk, or use public transportation whenever possible.
- Shop your local farmers market or join a CSA or co-op.
- Opt for more veggie or meat-free meals.
- Install a rain barrel.
- Switch to paperless billing options for your monthly bills.
- Unplug electronics when not in use.
- Install a grey-water recycling system for your home.
- Start a garden or join a community garden project.
- Start a compost pile for kitchen and yard waste.
- Instead of grass or ornamentals, plant native perennials.
- Hang clothes to dry instead of running the dryer.
- Install solar and motion sensitive outdoor lights.
- Switch to electronic magazine subscriptions.
Big or small, every effort you make to help our plant is a step in the right direction. Even the littlest changes can have a big impact when you add them up over time.
For more ideas on how to live green, check out these websites:
What a great list of truly accessible suggestions and useful links! May I add… How about going a step further with the lawn: Don’t even water it; plant native grass or prairie plants that don’t need the extra moisture. Also, if you eat meat, get it from local farms and/or make sure it’s sustainably harvested. Help eliminate the market for convenience items by refusing to buy stuff wrapped in a lot of wasteful packaging. Avoid styrofoam by bringing your own food containers to take home restaurant leftovers.
Last weekend, I built a raised garden bed for my front yard. It was only $25 for the materials, my family will get great produce out of it, and I will have a little less lawn to mow! Click here to view pictures of the final product!
Dawn – Thanks for the great suggestions! Good point about avoiding wasteful packaging. Buying items in bulk or larger containers not only saves a lot of unnecessary waste from excess packaging but usually saves money too! By simply investing in a reusable water bottle one could save countless bottles from being created and often disposed of (instead of recycled).
Jesse – It looks great! Thanks so much for sharing.