Earth Day Challenge 2021

Photo Credit: Bethlehem Health Facebook Page

Earth Day is one of my favorite days because it encourages everyone to take a look at their own lives and what they can do to leave a smaller carbon footprint on the earth. My husband is an Environmental Protection Specialist, ensuring the Army Depot he works for follows all environmental laws and guidelines and even helps raise bees on site. My mother called me her flower child when I was growing up and with a nickname like that, naturally I grew up to be a treehugger.  Needless to say, this is a topic on our minds 365 days a year and we have picked up some habits I thought would be helpful to share. Change can feel overwhelming but if you are able to do one item from this list, you are still making a difference. Even a small change can make a big impact. 
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My challenge to you this Earth Day is to make a change to your life which will extend our planet’s life for future generations. Sending you peace, hope and love today and everyday.

Taking water on the go? Ditch the plastic and pick one of these snazzy alternatives. 

1. Reduce your plastic use by eliminating plastic bottles. I get it, they are convenient, but unfortunately all plastic that is created will be on our planet for hundreds of years before breaking down and that has already had a terrifying impact on our oceans. Luckily this idea is trending which has caused many reusable bottles in fun designs and colors to flood the market. Many even keep your beverage cold or hot which is more than a plastic bottle of water can say. Make the switch, you won’t regret it.

Photo Credit: thisisplastics.com

2. If you choose not to reduce the use of plastic, the next best thing is to recycle it. Plastic bottles can be recycled with curbside recycling pickup or a local recycling center. Plastic bags and other plastic packaging are not accepted through those methods. If you have plastic shopping bags or plastic wrapping that says “Store drop off only” such as the plastic your toilet paper or paper towels are wrapped in, please drop those items off at a store drop off near you. We drop off our plastic at Wegmans which is a grocery store in our area. They use the plastic to create more plastic shopping bags (which is a lot better than having to manufacture more plastic) and a cashier once told me they also use it to make the employee uniform shirts. How amazing! Target has plastic bag collection bins in their stores or you can check with local grocery stores in your area.

Our at home compost bin. Saving the earth can start in your own backyard. 

3. Compost at home. We started composting last summer as a quarantine project and it was easier than I thought. I highly recommend reading articles and watching videos about home composting before diving in. It felt so good to be able to put our food scraps such as egg shells, banana peels, etc. in the compost bin versus the garbage can, plus, we were able to use the soil our compost bin created last year to replenish our flower beds with rich, nutrient soil this spring. Go for it!

I organize clothes that my kids have outgrown by season, then wash and lay flat before I drop off for consignment. 

4. Saving the planet is the hottest fashion trend. Hand me downs are a parent’s best friend. If you have friends with older children wanting to pass down clothes to you, say yes. And if you know someone with children younger than your own, pass along the love. Reusing clothes helps save money and create less waste. If you are looking to shop, I recommend consignment shops or stores who sell gently used clothing. I recommend the following:

Bears Repeating - This consignment shop in Trexlertown, PA is great for baby and kids clothing, shoes and toys. I take clothes that my kids have outgrown to sell in their store and earn store credit to buy items in their current or future sizes. I would recommend checking out their Facebook page for the latest gems that have arrived and details about how to become a consignor. If you are not local to this store, I recommend searching for kid consignment shops in your area.

Plato’s Closet - This store sells gently used clothing geared towards a teenage audience. You can bring clothing and shoes to sell for cash as well as find great priced stylish items for purchase. I have found incredible deals on sneakers for my daughter and myself as well as some fun t-shirts. ​

Style Encore - This store sells gently used clothes geared towards women. Similar to Plato’s Closet, you can also sell clothing, shoes, designer purses, etc. for cash and browse for those unique finds that make you want to brag to anyone who will listen. I purchase all of my jeans from this store and guarantee no one would guess by looking at my outfits each day that I wear used jeans. Have fun shopping and saving the earth!

My daughter on our most recent trash pickup outing. 

5. Join a trash clean up event in your area or start your own. My family and I take a lot of walks together and it saddens us to see trash on the ground as we go to different areas to walk. We know it is not our trash on the ground but I remind myself of the Malcom X quote, “If not now then when, if not me then who?”. If we don’t clean it, who will? And that has inspired us to go to the streets with our gloves and garbage bags to make it a more beautiful and healthy place to enjoy the outdoors. I did get nervous about this family pastime during COVID but we have added masks to our safety measures as well as trash grabbers which can be purchased at a home improvement store. We found ours at Lowe’s. Invite some friends and make it fun. You got this!

My husband with his electric lawn mower. 

6. Be a conscious consumer. We are blessed to have many options out there for our consumption but some options are better for the planet than others. This could involve the process it takes to manufacture it, the packaging or the use of the product. For example, Seventh Generation paper products are made with 100% recycled paper. We purchase the tissues (don’t forget to recycle the box when you are done) and napkins (please recycle the wrapping at a store drop off) and they work just as well as traditional products but have the benefit of saving trees. There are also plant based soaps and detergents which are better on the environment than the synthetic products available and they are better for your health as well. Being a conscious consumer can apply to larger purchases too, such as an electric lawn mower or hybrid car. I understand these eco friendly products can cost more than traditional products. If swapping one item is all you can fit into your budget, it will still make a difference.

If your household has any earth friendly habits that are not on the list above, please feel free to share them in the comments. We are always looking for other ways to help our beloved earth. Happy Earth Day 2021 everyone!