Today is a day to ask yourself if you’re doing all that you can do for Mother Earth. Are you…
- Recycling? Uh, DUH, let’s hope so! My city accepts cardboard/paper, and only #1 and #2 glass & plastic bottles with necks. That leaves out a ton of other recyclables which go straight into the trash. So, you too can step it up and bring all of your recyclables to your local participating co-op. I bring mine to EastSide Co-op in NE Mpls. They have a pilot recycling program, taking #s 1, 2, 4, 5, and 6. It still amazes me how quickly all of these recyclables pile up!
- Recycling your bottle caps? Did you know that most bottle caps are not recycled? Aveda has a recycling program for these caps. I collect bottle caps from my work, as well as home, and bring about 3-4 boxes of caps a month to Aveda.
- Supporting a local organic farmer? Last year I purchased CSA share and loved it, so signed up again this year. I can't wait for all of the yummy veggies coming my way starting in June!
- Capturing your rain water? I am so excited each spring when we hook up our rain barrel. It’s free water, great for my garden, gives me a great workout, and allows me to water my plants even on city-restriced watering days.
- Using reusable shopping bags? I love Envirosax. Super cute designs, super strong, and super compact.
- Washing all of your laundry in cold water? My only exceptions to this rule are towels and bedding, which I clean with warm water to kill any germs.
- Eating organically grown and humanely treated food? Eggs, for example, from organically-fed, free-range chickens noticably look and taste better. The brilliantly bright yolks even converted my skeptical husband.
- Supporting local green businesses? I like to consult Heavy Table's Atlas of Ethical Eating for eco-friendly and socially-responsible local restaurants.
- Using decomposable doggie poop bags? I have two 65+ pound dogs and they poop alot! Their poop doesn't need to be preserved for the next 200+ years in regular plastic bags.
- Using non-toxic chemicals on your skin? In your house? Take stock of all of the cosmetics, lotions, soaps, detergents, cleaning supplies you use every day. Are they toxic to you, your pets, the environment?
In honor of Earth Day, I want to make a commitment to ramp up my green efforts for 2010. The things I’m already doing (which at one time felt like a lot) have become second nature and pretty much a part of my daily routine. As a result, I feel like I’m not doing enough! So I’ve decided to step it up.
Composting and rain gardening have been at the forefront of my mind lately, probably because a few weeks ago I arranged for a Hennepin County Master Gardener to present both topics at my work. I’m on the Green@Work committee, and we try to bring green ideas/resources/events to the people – or in this case my co-workers. Some of them get it, a lot of them don’t. Anyway, I’ve been thinking a lot about both topics since the presentation.
So what earth friendly actions can I really commit to in 2010?
- Composting. It’s too easy not to be doing, right?
- Planting more native flowers and grasses in my landscaping.
- Using recyclable/compostable dryer sheets, or better yet, a dryer ball/sachet.
- Learning more about beekeeping. (Earlier this year, I briefly explored the idea of raising chickens and found out that the hobby isn’t for me. Good to know ahead of time.)
- Learning more ways to be green & reading more about environmental topics. (I’m going to start with Michael Pollan’s In Defense of Food.)
How are you celebrating Earth Day? What green practices have you incorporated into your daily routine?
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