Love our Planet this Earth Day
Mother nature is finally starting to feel like Spring in the Twin Cities! We could not be more grateful for the sunshine and the 60 degree weather coming our way. It's timing is perfect too... It's Earth Day on Sunday!
Why do we love Earth Day? The answer is simple enough - we love this wonderful planet that we call home! This day is such a great reminder that we should be taking care of our planet and doing what we can to make our environment better.
Here's our suggestion to you this weekend; take advantage of this gorgeous weather to go do something that either just gets you outside to enjoy the fresh air OR do something that helps our planet.
Here are some things that you can start doing to help our environment. (Psst! Some of these may help you save money too!)
Reusable Water bottles and Straws: This is a big one for reducing waste overall. Bring a reusable water bottle with you to the gym, work, and out when you run errands. It will keep you drinking more water (we all need to do this), and it will prevent you from buying a plastic water bottle or a soda when you are out and about, saving you money and limiting your contribution to added waste. Many plastic bottles do not get recycled and end up in landfills. Stainless steel bottles are one of our favorite ways to go - here's a list from NYMag with some of the best stainless steel options if you need a new one.
Straws are the next big one. If you are getting your normal iced coffee at your favorite coffee shop every day and never recycle it, think how many straws you are contributing to the waste alone every year. If you really want to go above and beyond, go stainless steel with these too. Here is a great option on Amazon.More Cloth Towels: We know how convenient it is to use a paper towel, trust us. However, going through rolls and rolls of paper towels can be extremely wasteful. Instead, try buying some more cloth towels to have in your kitchen or cleaning spaces. You should be able to find some just about anywhere, including Target or Amazon.
One thing that we like to do if we don't want to buy new ones is just cut up old cotton t-shirts to use as cleaning rags. In the long run, not buying as many paper towels will save you money.Unplug: Yes, we mean chargers, computers, coffee makers, etc.! Anything that needs to be plugged in to be used will still use some energy by just being plugged into an outlet. I don't know about you, but we have about 30 different things in our home that could be unplugged when not in use. By unplugging you'll not only be saving electricity, you can also cut back on your electric bill. Every bit helps!
If you are forgetful or just don't want to unplug some of your standard items, you can also invest in a surge protectors that disable when not in use. Here is a link to several different options for protectors.
Eat Less Meat: We promise we aren't telling you to go vegetarian on this one! However, the meat industry has a significant impact on the carbon footprint. To many of you, we're sure this isn't a surprise. Just by cutting one day out a week where you find alternative protein sources, you can help reduce the carbon footprint overall. Not to mention, most vegetarian sourced protein is less expensive then good quality meat. This will help you save a few dollars on your weekly grocery bills.
Paperless: This is especially important with your mail. We know it may be hard to control some of the junk mail - we wish we could control this! However, many utility companies, bank statements, etc. can send you everything via email or be available on their specific websites. When possible, opt for the electronic version instead of having the paper bills sent to your home.
These few items may not seem like a lot, but in the long run, they will help the environment and help create a more sustainable future for our wonderful home planet!
As for us, we are going to get out and enjoy this beautiful Spring like weather this weekend!
What are your favorite tips for keeping a healthy home and helping the environment? Let us know!
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