Earth Day is a time to find ways to keep our home planet healthy! Make everyday Earth Day and transition into a green lifestyle. This lifestyle does not need to be extreme; simply adding a few changes to your household can have a measurable impact on the planet!
Swap styrofoam and paper coffee cups for stainless steel or reusable cups.
Unplug appliances when not in use. When a phone, laptop or tablet finishes charging, unplug the charger box from the wall. The same goes for video game systems, televisions and kitchen appliances that you don't use often.
Reduce water use. Take shorter showers, repair small faucet leaks and turn the water off while you brush your teeth.
Change your lightbulbs. Use compact fluorescent bulbs in place of regular lightbulbs to reduce pollution. If you don't like the color of the fluorescent bulbs, use the lightbulbs in a closet, laundry rooms or other places.
Have meatless Mondays. Going vegetarian once a week helps the planet and your diet. It requires 2,500 gallons of water to produce one pound of beef; by cutting meat out of your diet once a week, you will be saving water.
Go to a car wash. If everyone in the U.S. went to a car wash instead of washing their car themselves, a total of 8.7 billion gallons of water could be saved.
Switch to reusable bags. Plastic bags are making their way into our oceans, harming wildlife and ultimately the food chain. Reusable bags are a sturdier option that are inexpensive and will reduce the use of plastic bags.
Pay bills online. With everything going digital, the option to pay bills online is becoming more frequent. Get bills and statements electronically and save the trees! By some estimates, if every household in the U.S. paid their bills online, a total of 18. 5 million trees would be saved every year.
Recycle, recycle, recycle. Easy, right? Most communities have recycling programs. Take out your plastic milk jugs, cardboard, glass and other recyclable materials to your bins instead of throwing them away. The planet will thank you.
Skip the bottled water. Buy a reusable container or a Brita filter attachment for the sink and opt for tap water. It will save you money and possibly your health, along with the environment.