Happy Earth Day! Today is a day to celebrate and promote the preservation of our precious planet.
Wondering how you can help? Here are a few eco-friendly activities you can do year-round – because we believe that every day should be Earth Day!
1. Find a creative use for your trash: From milk-jug watering cans to place mats fashioned out of potato chip bags, there are many different ways you can turn your trash into treasure.
Here’s one idea we loved (share yours below!): About to toss out that old cotton t-shirt? Turn it into reusable grocery bag instead! Turn the shirt inside out, cut off the sleeves, cut small (2″) slits in the bottom and tie them together with double knots. Flip the shirt back so your knots are on the inside – voila!
2. Start a sustainable garden: Everyone knows that eating local helps reduce your environmental impact. Well, it doesn’t get any more local than your own backyard! If you’re new to gardening, start small and plant easy-to-grow items you know your family will use, such as lettuce, peas, basil, beans or sweet peppers.
3. Swap out hazardous chemicals: When you’re scrubbing your bathtub, toilet or sink with hazardous chemicals, it’s easy to forget that these substances can easily make their into the environment, polluting groundwater and damaging plant and animal life. Make the switch to natural cleaning products, which are safer for both the planet and for your family. You can also make your own natural cleaning supplies – we promise it’s easy. (Consider swapping out beauty products, too – the fewer chemicals, the better!)
4. Make a commitment to go cruelty-free: This last one isn’t exactly about the Earth, but compassion for nature and animals should go hand in hand. When purchasing personal care items (toothpaste, moisturizer, cosmetics, etc.), look for the Leaping Bunny icon, which signifies that a product has not been tested on animals.