We’re huge fans of the planet every day of the year, but on Earth Day we like to show it some serious love.
Here are 5 ways to give Mother Earth a hug this Earth Day
1. Splash Out
For those of us who have to have a car, we know you want to keep it clean (it’ll actually help the longevity of your car). Before you grab your sudsy bucket and short-shorts, we’ve got news for you – it’s kinder to the environment for you to splash out on a car wash. Shocking, right? It turns out that modern car washes actually use less water. Just pick an establishment that uses biodegradable soap and water saving measures.
2. Air It Out
Not your dirty laundry, your clean stuff. Skipping the air dryer and hanging your clothes to dry reduces your electricity use, will help your clothes look and feel new longer, and infuses your clothes with Mama Earth’s perfume (aka, the real fresh air not the ‘scent of fresh breeze’ from chemical-laced dryer sheets).
3. Cut the Commute
Biking, carpooling, taking transit or walking to work are all great ways to tell Mother Earth you love her every day but why not take that love off the road altogether? Telecommuting is one of the best ways to reduce your impact on the planet. Companies are becoming increasingly more accepting of the practice so you might be surprised by your bosses receptiveness to the notion. And, as an added bonus, nobody is going to steal your awesome kale caesar salad lunch from the fridge.
4. Upcycle
Don’t throw that out! It’s been our mantra around here for a while, in fact, we may be upcycling addicts. We love to take items bound for the trash and re-imagine them into useful items. It’s not just about keeping things out of the landfill; it’s also about consuming less, which ultimately lowers our carbon footprint. Not to mention, it makes for a great conversation starter.
5. Brown is the New Green
Forget about the grass being greener on the other side – Mother Nature prefers brown. Keeping grass green requires a great deal of water and there really is no reason. If you’re not a fan of dry grass look, why not consider a totally xeriscape landscape. It looks great and it leaves plenty of water back in nature where it belongs.
6. To-Go Containers
Taking your own grocery bags to the store may seem like old hat now but why stop at those awesome reusable canvas bags? If you frequent the deli or the bulk section, why not take your own re-sealable bags and containers. Here’s a tip: take a glass container, like a mason jar, to the deli and have them weigh it before filling it so they can subtract the weight. From deli to fridge without ever touching plastic. Now that’s a picnic Mother Nature would never rain out!
7. Food Footprint
Even if none of the food you eat has feet, it still has an eco-footprint. Think about how far it traveled, how much water it took to grow, how much energy was required to process it and whether the earth had to sustain a pesticide assault for it to grow. The smallest food footprints will be from unprocessed whole foods and organic veggies grown locally, so a local farmer’s market is the perfect place to start shrinking your food’s footprint.
These eco-habits are just the tip of the (melting) iceberg.
Let’s keep the list growing and have a full on Mother Earth hug-fest this Earth Day. What do you do to show the planet some love?
Check out our eco-videos for more inspiration.
