8 Tips to Celebrate International Earth Day
Last time we went green with recipe ideas for St. Patrick’s Day. This time we will continue our green theme with the March 20th celebration of International Earth Day. While the United States celebrates Earth Day next month, International Earth Day is a more global way to participate and to consider the impact of your environmental habits.
The Earth Day Network works with over 22,000 partners in almost 200 countries to highlight the environmental movement and the need to take care of our planet. They are involved in multiple projects, including working with communities to create greener schools, cities, and resources. They also work in the United States and abroad to plant trees, protect certain species of animals, and generate interest and action in environmental issues.
When you are considering a new purchase, try to think of the environmental impact. Remember that paper and cardboard come from trees, plastics from oil, and metals from ores and glass. The less you buy and the more environmentally responsible choices you make, the bigger the difference you can make toward improving the health and sustainability of our planet. This is also known as decreasing the carbon footprint of our environment.
Here are eight tips to consider:
Reduce:
- Purchase items in single, large units, rather than buying individually wrapped goods. You can also buy products made from or packaged with recycled materials.
- Walk, bike, or take public transportation. This saves you money, cuts down on pollution, and makes our country less dependent on fossil fuels. And, think of all the health benefits you will get from the exercise!
Reuse:
- Use junk mail and used envelopes, as well as unneeded pages from your printer for shopping lists, notes, or drawing paper. Greeting cards can be repurposed as gift tags and decorations.
- Reuse bags from the store to carry your lunch, transport your recycling to the curb, or on a hike to pick up trash along the trail. Better yet, invest in canvas shopping bags. These can be used in all sorts of creative ways. Many stores in Europe require you to bring your own bags or, if they have bags, they may charge you to use them.
Recycle:
- Recycle as much as you can. According to the EPA, recycling in the U.S. can keep 60 million tons of waste out of our landfills each year. This amounts to 32% of all garbage. Find out what your town collects on recycling day, and take other items to your local recycling center.
- Recycling isn’t just about paper, plastic, and metal. Instead of throwing away your unwanted clothing or accessories, have a “stuff swap” party or donate your items to a local charity. What may be junk to you, may be gold to someone else.
Create:
- Plant flowers, vegetables, bushes, and trees. Not only will they provide beauty and bounty, plants increase the amount of available oxygen in your surroundings.
- Make a difference by writing letters to the editor and political representatives to promote your thoughts and ideas on being environmentally responsible.
Another great way to celebrate the earth is to get outside and enjoy it. Look back to our recent blog on outdoor exercises for some creative ideas. Spring is officially here, and what better way to enjoy all the perks of spring than by immersing yourself in the great outdoors?
Spring is also a great time to revisit your health goals and review your progress. If you need any help with revising your plan or finding ways to keep going, let us know. We are here to help!
Next time we will tackle spring cleaning and talk about environmentally friendly cleaning products. Doesn’t this sound fun and quite the educational learning opportunity? Who would not want to learn about taking chemicals out of their homes and replace cleaning supplies with more natural options. Stay tuned and you too will learn …