5 Easy Tips To Make Every Month Earth Month
This is a guest post from Lars, featuring 5 easy tips to make every month earth month. Thank you Lars for sharing with us these great tips!
Earth Month April is an opportunity to raise awareness about the importance of taking care of our planet. But the work does not end on April 30th. Sustainable living is a journey that requires continuous awareness. Here are 5 easy tips how you can make every month Earth Month and continue living sustainably throughout the year.
1. Reduce Your Waste
Going forward, try out a small change in your everyday routine and make your mark in reducing plastic pollution. Pick one item you want to switch out with a sustainable alternative every month. If you’re always grabbing a coffee on your way to work bring your refillable cup. Instead of using single-use plastic bags, bring your own reusable bags to the grocery store or when shopping. If you usually grab takeout food for lunch, replace it with a cooked meal from home once a week. You will soon notice that switching one item every month is very doable and the changes will add up.
2. Save Water
Saving water can be as easy as turning off the faucet when you’re not actively using it. Turning off the faucet while brushing your teeth, can save as much as 200 gallons of water every month. If you want to save even more water, be conscious while washing dishes. Use a little water to get your sponge wet and soapy. Then turn off the faucet and wash your dishes until you can rinse a bunch of dishes at once. Even better, if you have a double basin, plug the sink, and use one basin for washing dishes and the other one to rinse them.
3. Choose Plant-Based Meals
Incorporate plant-based meals into your diet by swapping out meat for plant based alternatives. An easy way to start is just replacing one meat dish per week with a plant based alternative. Like replacing your meat lasagna with veggie lasagna or your chicken fingers with delicious fried cauliflower. Eating plant-based meals reduces your carbon footprint and supports sustainable farming practices.
4. Save Energy
There are many ways to save energy in your everyday life. One of the easiest is turning off your electronics when you leave the house and before you go to bed. Unplugging chargers and appliances when they’re not being used can save up to 10% energy every month. Another great simple tip is washing your laundry cold. As long as you have an effective laundry detergent, most regular laundry will be perfectly clean even if you wash it cold. An estimated 90% of the energy used by washing machines is used to heat up the water. Imagine how much energy and money you can save with a little awareness.
5. Support Sustainable Businesses
Supporting small businesses that focus on sustainable practices can be a great signal to the economy to change for the better. Try to buy at businesses that prioritize sustainability by shopping at local farmer’s markets, buying products made from sustainable materials, and choosing products with minimal packaging. By supporting sustainable businesses, you can help to reduce the demand for unsustainable products and make your voice heard for a more sustainable future.
Small Steps Make All The Difference
Sustainable change does not come from a big 30-day effort in one Earth Month. It is the small everyday changes that make all the difference. By including these easy tips in your life, you will notice that they soon become routine, and you don’t even notice anything different anymore. This will allow you to move on and test other sustainable practices that will lead you to a better future, one small step at a time.
Author bio: Lars is the Co-Owner of SWOP – shop without plastic, a zero-waste online shop and blog. He is passionate about protecting the environment and educating about plastic pollution.
I hope these tips to make every month earth month have inspired you! Thank you again, Lars! If you are looking for more eco friendly tips for everyday, read this post next.
