“It’s less important that a few people do things perfectly than that a mass of people does things somewhat well.”
One of my favorite quotes as it pertains to so many things. One of those is most certainly our environmental impact. Today I’m sharing five very easy to implement, positive-impact actions for Earth Day. (This year it falls on Thursday, April 22, 2022)
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Five Little Positive-Impact Actions for Earth Day
1. Refuse the Bag
You know all those times you run out to Target, Walgreen’s, or Lowe’s for just one thing? Likely the one thing you forgot on your planned shopping trip? Yeah, don’t use a bag for that stuff. Just say no and carry whatever it is by hand or, if it’s small enough, throw it in your purse.
While you may or may not be able to pack a reusable grocery bag at the market (due to ongoing COVID restrictions), one place where you can painlessly eschew plastic is in the produce section. Purchasing a couple of potatoes to bake for dinner, red pepper for a salad, or melon for breakfast? DON’T bag it in one of the produce bags provided in that section. Just throw it in your cart and check out!
2. Unsubscribe from Unwanted Mailings
Let’s face it, most of us do our browsing online these days. Aside from a few favorites that I read like magazines, I’ve been using Catalog Choice or DMA Choice to remove myself from unwanted mailing lists.
Likewise for phone books. We haven’t gotten any for at least a decade now. To unsubscribe from yours, use Yellow Pages Opt-Out. Taking a few minutes to unsubscribe far surpasses moving all that paper from the mailbox directly into the recycling bin or trash.
3. Cut Back on Energy, Automatically
Much of the world has us beat in energy consumption by using simple gadgets to control access to the amount of energy they use. Perhaps you’ve been in a hotel overseas and have noticed that electricity only works when your keycard is in a special slot by the front light switch? Why not employ some techniques like that at home?
- Investigate occupant sensing light switches like this one or motion sensing light bulbs, like these.
- For water consumption, try low-flow showerheads like the ones shown here.
- Simplest yet, fill an empty jug and put it in each of your toilet tanks to reduce water usage each time it refills. One standard gallon jug or two quarts won’t affect the performance of your toilet at all.
4. Reduce Your Food Waste
Reduce your food waste by:
- Composting eggshells, coffee grounds, produce scraps, and more. Good for the earth and great for your garden and houseplants!
- Using produce scraps to generate more produce. That’s right, you can grow lots of veggies from scraps: celery, green onions, lettuce, etc. Use your store-bought scraps to supplement your own little tabletop or outdoor vegetable garden. Visit this post for how-tos.
- Shopping at the bulk aisle of your grocery. You may even be able to bring your own packaging (depending on COVID restrictions) to even further reduce waste. Shopping in bulk not only reduces packaging waste but your own food waste because you are purchasing only in a quantity you know you will use. Especially helpful for those odd recipes that call for just a single teaspoon of some random spice you otherwise never use!
5. Plant a Tree 🌲
My personal favorite. Planting trees not only benefits the environment by absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and releasing oxygen, but they also make your yard prettier and more private!
A fond childhood memory was of planting acorns in a little cup. By 1976, one of those acorns had grown large enough to transplant to the yard. Today that acorn is a large and mighty oak that shades the back of the house that my mom still lives in today.
For another great, Earth Day-themed post, check out this article on denim recycling! You can even earn money back on a new jeans purchase at certain retailiers.
Until next time…keep cultivating a simple, stylish, and satisfying life!
Hi Betsy. I’m reading this post, just in time for Earth Day. I think that it’s so neat that you planted acorns, when you were young and that one plant grew into a tree, that is in your mom’s yard. I didn’t know that you could do that with acorns. I love doing my part to save the planet. Here in Georgia, we carry our own cloth bags, when we go grocery shopping. the bags come in handy, too, when we go to the farmers markets. Happy Earth Day! I’m sharing this on FB. xx
That little acorn has become one of my fondest childhood memories! Thanks so much for reading and sharing. Love that you use cloth bags, we do as well, although that has been on hiatus the past year during COVID. Hopefully starting to open up again soon. Good for the environment plus they can hold so much more than plastic bags. Fewer trips to unload!