Open your calendar and turn to April 22. Earth Day is a holiday that is worth celebrating! Save the date and save the world all at the same time with these tips on preparing your home for memorable moments on April 22.
1. Pull Out the Bicycles from The Shed and Park the Car
Transportation emits a plethora of toxins into the air. So, park the car for Earth Day and pull the bicycles out from the shed. Make it your family’s goal to use other means of transportation on April 22 as much as you can. While it may not be plausible to forbid the car for the entire day, try to decrease your usage as much as possible.
2. Start Gardening for Fresh Produce and Herbs
Earth Day is the perfect time to start gardening. Growing your own fruits, vegetables, and herbs comes with a vast array of benefits. Not only will you be saving the Earth one plant at a time but you’ll also be saving an abundance on your grocery bill. If channeling your green thumb isn’t for you, try to purchase produce from local farmers.
3. Create Your Own Compost
Speaking of gardening, gather your family and build a compost box for your backyard. All you need is some spare pieces of wood and a corner in your yard, and you can eliminate the amount of food waste that ends up in landfills. If you are gardening, you’ll be amazed at what compost can do for your plants.
4. Unplug the Electronics and Hide the Remotes
Electronics are taking over the world. Everywhere you go, you’ll find people texting, calling, status-updating, e-reading, typing – you name it. Technology is an integral part of living today, but try to decrease your family’s usage. On Earth Day, unplug the electronics, collect the smartphones, hide the remotes and get outdoors with your family. If the weather doesn’t call for it, pull out those board games and bring the excitement inside.
5. Fix Leaking Faucets
A leaky faucet may seem like a trivial issue within your household but a leaky faucet can waste more than 3,000 gallons per year if it’s dripping once per second. So, check your interior and exterior faucets and if they’re leaking, it’s time to fix them one drop at a time.
6. Pick Up Some Recycling Bins
It’s shocking how many people don’t recycle. Start a trend within your neighborhood by picking up some recycling bins. It takes mere seconds to place recyclable materials in the bin as opposed to the garbage, and it makes a huge difference on the environment.
7. Switch All Light Bulbs to Eco-Friendly Options
This Earth Day, head to your local department store and pick up some energy efficient light bulbs. Switch out the older light bulbs styles within your home and you’ll see a decrease in your energy usage and electricity bill. It’s also one of the easiest ways to reduce your carbon footprint.
8. Open the Blinds and Let the Natural Light Shine
With the prior mentioned, you can enhance the benefits by turning off the lights completely. So, open the blinds and let the natural light illuminate your home instead. When nighttime falls, light candles and enjoy the glow and ambiance of the night.
9. Hang A Line to Dry Your Laundry Outdoors
With spring finally here, there’s no reason to do your laundry indoors. Dryers use a ton of energy to dry your belongings. So, hang a line in your backyard instead. There’s nothing like fresh sheets dried naturally.
10. Implement A Re-Use System In Your Home
It’s amazing how many items can be reused within your home. This Earth Day, gather the family and go through the items you can all start to reuse. It’s an educational experience for the little ones and it’ll help save the world moving forward. Everything from water bottles to mason jars, packing materials, and old clothes can be reused time and time again.
Earth Day is only one day of the year. To truly make an impact, implement these tips today and adapt to sustainable living moving forward.
