Earth Day is the largest secular observance in the world, celebrated by more than a billion people globally every year. Many of these people have a yearly tradition they enjoy with their friends or family – planting a new tree at home or in a nearby orchard, picking up trash in the local park or along the river, or donating to a local non-profit dedicated to the environment, to name a few. These small steps have a huge impact on our environment, and I encourage everyone to celebrate Earth Day in whatever way is possible for them.
What we do the other 364 days each year also makes a big difference!
I am passionate about creating a more sustainable world for our kids, and I firmly believe even the smallest actions now will have a huge impact in the future. Below is a quick list of small but beneficial steps my family has taken (or takes on a regular basis) to reduce energy use, reduce water use, and protect our environment. Some of these ideas do cost money and are not feasible for all families; many of them are also free and easy to implement!
Recycle. This always tops the list because recycling is such an easy way to do more for our planet. Gigi wrote an awesome blog post on local recycling, so I won’t dive into the details, but there are many options for recycling in east Idaho.
Recycling is an easy task to engage young children in. We have both a recycling and garbage can in our pantry that make it easy for the whole family to recycle, and our craft areas have scrap paper boxes where even the tiniest bits of craft leftovers go to be used again.
Reduce and reuse. So many of our daily products can be swapped out with reusable, eco-friendly alternatives. Some of my favorite reusable products are metal or silicone drinking straws, glass Tupperware, silicone cupcake liners, silicone microwave covers, cloth diapers and wipes, cloth paper towels, and menstrual cups. I always bring my own shopping bags and mesh produce bags when I go grocery shopping and buy hand soap and other household products in bulk for use in reusable dispensers. Switching to reusable products cuts down on so much waste that would otherwise go to the landfill.
P.S. If you missed Alex’s blog post on menstrual cups, check it out here.
Opt in to e-statements and out of junk mail. I have been trying to reach you about your car’s extended warranty…
Did you know you can block unwanted junk mail? If your kids are like mine and love collecting every lawn care advertisement and cable TV offer from the mailbox, they will be disappointed to know there are several ways to manage all your unsolicited mail. This article from HuffPost contains links and phone numbers for free or inexpensive ($2) services similar to the Do Not Call Registry but for mail and includes strategies for reducing the volume of mail you receive by yourself.
Where possible, and if you have access to the internet, signing up for e-statements for any recurring bills also reduces the amount of printed material coming to your house. Recycle any mail that slips through the cracks.
These simple steps save trees, reduce greenhouse gas emissions from delivery vehicles, and keep the estimated 5.6 million tons of mail from crowding the landfills annually.
Swap out your light bulbs. Lighting technology has drastically changed over the last decade, making energy-efficient light bulbs increasingly affordable. A quick and easy way to reduce energy use is to swap out traditional incandescent light bulbs with LEDs. LED bulbs last longer than traditional bulbs, offer comparable or better lighting quality, and use at least 75 percent less energy. We personally love the daylight LED bulbs because of the bright, calming light they put out.
Where swapping out bulbs isn’t feasible, remember to turn off lights when not in use and use task lighting when possible. Most of us light up an entire room when we only need light over a specific area, such as the kitchen table.
Kick lighting savings into full gear by installing occupant sensors, dimmers, or other lighting controls that reduce lighting use. We personally have occupant sensors in our closet, laundry room, and pantry – three areas of the house that we found lights on constantly – and have dimmers in areas we don’t always need the lights on at full power, like the living room and bedroom.
Unplug devices and appliances when not in use. The average household can save 10 percent or more on its electricity bill by unplugging devices when not in use. Phantom power (or standby power) is the energy used by devices and appliances when they are plugged in and no one is using them. Phantom power accounts for about 75 percent of the electricity used by devices – including cell phone and tablet chargers, TVs, DVRs, gaming consoles, laptops, monitors, printers, electric toothbrushes, microwaves, and alarm clocks, to name a few – and that really adds up. Even the beloved coffeemaker is pulling phantom power!
There are a few strategies for reducing this load and lowering your electricity bill. The easiest is to remember to unplug charging cables and similar cords, like those used for a phone or tablet, when you’re not using them. Set your computer to go into sleep mode when you aren’t using it and plug all your computer equipment into a power strip that is easy to turn off when you are done for the day. This is also helpful for TVs, speakers, and gaming consoles. As an alternative, use a Smart Strip, or advanced power strip, to automatically reduce the energy consumption of devices that aren’t being used. Finally, purchasing energy-efficient devices or appliances will reduce phantom power as well.
Use your pet and pasta water for plants. Water conservation is just as important as energy conservation and there are so many ways to reduce water use: turn the water off when you’re brushing your teeth or soaping up your hands, take showers instead of baths, water your lawn and garden sparingly, limit water use while cleaning, and install efficient showerheads, to name a few. We have heard most of these tips before, but there are other ways we can save water around the house that we often overlook.
One of these ways is to use the water you would normally discard from your pet’s water dish or from boiling pasta, potatoes, eggs, and other food to water your indoor and outdoor plants. In fact, cooking water often provides extra nutrition your plants would not have received otherwise. If you are planning to use your cooking water in the garden, it is best not to salt it and to let it cool before use.
Wash your clothes in cold water. Energy use associated with laundry is largely attributable to heating water. Doing your laundry in cold water can reduce your energy use and energy costs significantly, especially if your family is like mine and you (or someone in your family) are washing clothes all. of. the. time.
Worried about how clean your clothes will get? Don’t be. Studies show that washing in cold water cleans clothes just as well as washing in hot water. Coldwater even gets out those pesky stains like blood, grass, make-up, and wine. In fact, hot water can set some of these awful stains. If your laundry requires sanitization, cold water isn’t going to work, but in almost all other cases, use the cold water!
If you really want to step up your laundry game, consider using a washing bag to catch the microfibers from your laundry. Microfibers are tiny synthetic fibers found on most of our clothes that go down the drain and into our waterways. The Cora Ball and Guppyfriend are popular choices for reducing this pollution.
Oh yeah – and use wool dryer balls! Dryer balls can greatly reduce the time it takes your clothes to dry which also reduces energy use and puts money right back into your pocket. A quicker dry time is especially useful if you are cramming all that laundry into a Saturday! Dryer balls eliminate the need for laundry softeners and are non-toxic and sustainable.
You can always hang your clothes to dry too! Fluff them in the dryer for 5 minutes to get rid of crinkles and wrinkles once they are dry and you’re on your way.
