Make Earth Day Every Day in Your Home
Though the problems facing the future of our planet may seem overwhelming, they become more manageable when we focus attention on the three action principles Earth Day was founded on: Reduce, Reuse & Recycle. You can make a positive difference, and that difference starts in your home, with choices you make every day. We can help you lighten your carbon footprint, set a planet-loving example for your children and grandchildren, as well as support businesses that are striving to make a BIG positive difference.
Easy Ways to Reduce Waste
One of today’s greatest environmental challenges is the amount of single-use plastics discarded every day. Plastic packaging and single-use shopping bags were once a convenience, but soon became so pervasive that many people view them as necessary. Don’t buy into that mentality! We offer products that make it easy for you to cut back on plastic waste entering landfills and waterways around the globe.
- Buy in bulk to reduce plastic packaging (and save money) Don’t think you can use such a large quantity? If you’ve been repeatedly buying smaller containers, you may be surprised how much you actually use in a few months! You can also split the cost or share/gift the abundance with family, friends and neighbors.
- Buy plastic-free and reduced-plastic products whenever possible. It’s the little things that make a difference... Think of the underarm deodorants, toothbrushes, shampoos and body soaps, as well as the feminine essentials you and your family may use every day, year ‘round. Consider using bar soap for handwashing, showering, and even shampooing, as the packaging is eco-friendlier. Opt for a compostable toothbrush, and a deodorant with plastic-free packaging. We offer all these, and more...
- Hand & Body Bar Soaps
- Dental Care
- Hair Care
- Deodorants & Wipes
- Feminine Care
- Green-up your laundry. These days, it’s easy to transform laundry day into an Earth Day, thanks to safe, effective plant-based detergents in pods and sheets that are so much more convenient than conventional detergents. No messy liquids to measure, and no more plastic jugs. We also offer laundry soaps in refillable and recyclable aluminum containers. Or, opt for all-natural, reusable soap nuts; five nuts can wash up to 100 loads. All options are HE- and septic-safe, so why not give them a try? While you’re at it, ditch the chemical-laden dryer sheets; they wind up in landfills where they can take years to decompose, all the while polluting waste and water systems.
Easy Ways to Reuse Items
Shop wisely; avoid buying single-use items. Instead of throwing items away, if we pay closer attention to what we purchase and reuse it as often as possible, the benefits to Earth would be enormous! Reusing means there’s less strain on natural resources, less need for mining, as well as less deforestation. In turn, that helps to reduce water, ground and air pollution, which plays a crucial role in protecting wildlife, ecosystems, and ultimately, your health.
- Have plenty of reusable bags... and use them. Americans use about 100 billion plastic bags every year. Only one percent of plastic bags are recycled; the rest end up as blowing around as litter or in landfills. Though paper bags decompose a lot quicker than plastic bags, plenty of environmental harm is still done in the harvesting of raw material and manufacturing processes. Reusable bags save resources, are strong, can be washed, are reliable and durable, and in the long view, they’re cost effective.
- Choose reusable food storage options. Sustainable food storage options are just as convenient as single-use options, and they’re better for the quality of the foods being stored, the environment, and your health. Store fresh food, leftovers, and snacks in glass or stainless steel containers to vastly reduce your use of single-use containers, plastic wraps, and aluminum foil. Produce bags go from market to your refrigerator, while beeswax wraps and silicone bags are super for everything from lunch sammies, and cheese blocks to meal-prepped foods and leftovers.
- Bring your own coffee & water. Your takeaway cup of joe is probably served in Styrofoam or plastic-lined paper, both of which cannot be recycled, take up to a million years to decompose, and can lead to the release of microplastics into the environment. If your disposable cup winds up in an incinerator, its pollutants are released into the air. Bottled water is just as problematic. The water bottling process releases millions of tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere every year, and water bottle waste kills over a million marine creatures annually. As to its safety? Bottled water is tested for microbes and other pollutants four times less than tap water.
- Switch to reusable cleaning cloths. Though disposable cleaning wipes are convenient and easy to use, their convenience comes at a high cost to the environment. Many of the single-use wipes are treated with harmful “cleaning” chemicals, which increase pollution and are dangerous to wildlife, and quickly end up in landfills, where they cause more harm to the environment. An all-cotton cloth is a healthier and more cost-effective. Or, to eliminate the need for chemical cleaning solutions, opt for microfiber cloths, which are naturally antimicrobial and when dampened can clean nearly any surface, with little effort.
Easy Ways to Recycle
Ever wonder if throwing away one aluminum can or plastic bottle really matters? Recycling one plastic bottle saves enough energy to power a 60-watt lightbulb for three hours. Recycling one aluminum can saves enough energy to run a TV for three hours.
Increasing recycling at home has local, regional, national, and global benefits. Recycling reduces the waste sent to landfills and incinerators near you. Recycling prevents pollution, conserves precious natural resources and energy while creating jobs, producing economic benefits. And when it comes to your health, the health of your loved ones, ecosystems and the wildlife that inhabits them, recycling also helps protect them all. Participate in your community’s recycling efforts. Most grocery stores and markets also provide bins for recycling of paper, plastics, and cans. Here are additional ways you can take the next step toward creating a safer and healthier planet for future generations...
- Compost your food scraps.. Did you know that today, nearly one-third of all food produced in the world goes to waste? The concern of wasted food is social, humanitarian – and environmental. When food goes to the landfill and rots, it produces methane, a greenhouse gas 28x more potent than carbon dioxide. Reduce your methane output and build rich soil by taking the time to recycle those wasted, yet extremely valuable foods. If you can’t compost, someone in your neighborhood or community probably does and might appreciate your food scraps. Many small farms also accept community food scraps, and may repay you in kind with the occasional bag of produce.
- Use recycled, recyclable & compostable household products. Never doubt that recycled toilet paper, paper towels, and facial tissues are better for the environment. Creating them from recycled paper uses almost half the water as tissue from fresh wood pulp, and chemicals used are far less toxic than those used to bleach new wood pulp. And plastic trash bags are some of biggest contributors to microplastics and greenhouse gases on our planet. Keep an eye on the many new and creative ways recycled materials are being incorporated into useful tools you can use every day that replace single-use products..
- Toilet Paper, Paper Towels & Facial Tissue
- Trash Bags
- Cleaning Tools
- Party & Picnic Supplies
These are just some of the many ways you can lighten your carbon footprint in your home, and which will make a world of difference. For more home-based eco-friendly ideas, check out our blog, How to Green-Up Every Room in Your Home.