Earth Day 2022

Happy Earth Day everyone! Not only am I a bookworm and writer, I am a flower child, hippie and tree hugger to name a few. Each year on Earth Day, my family and I do a trash clean up in our neighborhood and add new changes to our household which will help lessen our carbon footprint. I hope the list below inspires you to join us in this tradition, or to create your own special way to honor this day. 

Trash Clean Up - For this activity you only need two trash bags (one for trash and one for recycling), gloves and comfortable walking shoes. We also bring a trash grabber (optional) to make it more fun for the kids and to make it safer to pick up certain items. You can start with your neighborhood and local parks or venture to areas around your town or city where you have noticed litter. This activity will be good for the earth and your soul. Nothing creates a bigger smile than doing a good deed. 

Household Changes - Here are some household changes we have elected to make as a family throughout the years. Sometimes change can be hard. Don’t bombard yourself with too many at a time. Start with one or two and add more as you feel comfortable and ready. 

1. Reusable Shopping Bags - It is no secret that plastic is harming our earth, especially our oceans. Ditch the plastic shopping bags and invest in a few reusable ones. Some companies give them away as swag since it provides free advertising for them. You can also buy these bags for as low as $1 each at the grocery store.
2. Reusable Drinking Bottles - You’ll never have to buy plastic water bottles again! This one is an earth and money saver. You can find the reusable drinking bottles just about anywhere and as a bonus, many of them keep your beverage hot or cold for hours. Disposable bottles and cups sure can't do that! Plus, some coffee shops provide a discount if you bring in your own cup. Now that’s a win/win.
3. Kick the Plastic Straw Habit - That’s the last straw! Or, at least, it should be. Plastic straws cannot be recycled and they take over 200 years to decompose. There are many alternatives to plastic straws nowadays which are biodegradable, compostable or reusable, including paper, bamboo, stainless steel, etc. Some reusable ones even come with carrying cases so you can keep them in your purse or bookbag, how neat!
4. Refill is the new Recycle - Have you ever noticed that many of our cleaning and beauty supplies come in plastic bottles? Unfortunately, even if you recycle those bottles, by purchasing more it causes more production of plastic (unless you find an awesome company which uses recycled plastic). What if you could reuse your bottles, saving you money and causing less waste? There are several companies offering refillable options, such as Blueland, Branch Basics and F&D Market. 
5. Make Fast Fashion a Faux Pas - Did you know it takes 1,800 gallons of water to make one pair of jeans? Fast Fashion is the mass production of stylish clothing which moves quickly from design to retail. The continuous turnover and introduction of new collections to keep up with trends is harmful to our environment. Want to look fabulous for less and save our planet? Buy second-hand clothing. Want to earn extra cash? You can sell or consign clothing you are no longer wearing. There are several stores who do this for adults (i.e. Style Encore), teens (i.e. Platos Closet) and children (i.e. Bears Repeating in the Lehigh Valley, or check your local area for children’s consignment shops). Thrift stores have great finds too. 
6. Composting - This one is not for the faint of heart. It is a lot of work but the return is even greater. Each spring we are able to fill our flower beds with soil from our compost bin. It costs zero dollars and is rich in nutrients for your plants and flowers. We keep a compost bin in our backyard and add our food straps (such as banana peels, egg shells, scraps from cutting fruits and vegetables, etc.) along with leaves and grass clippings from around April to October and by the following spring we have fresh soil. Less waste plus cost savings makes this mama happy.

We are always looking to add more changes to our household. If you and your family have implemented an idea in your household which was not mentioned here, please feel free to comment below. I would love the recommendations. Happy Earth Day! Get out and enjoy the sunshine!

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