This year, Earth Day’s theme is focused on investing in our planet.
That doesn’t have to mean a monetary investment. There are things you can do that won’t cost you any more than a bit of time and a little knowledge. And you don’t have to wait until Earth Day officially rolls around on April 22 to get started.
If you’re looking for ways to reduce your individual impact, these four things are easy, inexpensive, and they don’t take a ton of time.
1. Reduce, reuse, recycle
Throwing something out shouldn’t be your first move — there are other options. Namely, you can reduce, reuse, and recycle!
If you’re looking to reduce your things, a spring clean up is a great place to start. Once you’ve identified items that you don’t use, it’s time to start sorting them by what you can donate, sell, and repair. Leave tossing them out as a last resort.
Looking to practice the three Rs outside of the home? Picking up waste in your community is a great way to make an impact — not to mention, you can see it happen right before your eyes! Many communities in Canada such as Toronto, Hamilton, London and Calgary.
Regardless of where you’re cleaning up, the Which Bin tool can help you figure out where everything goes. You’ll want to make sure you know how to properly dispose of things like your electronics and lightbulbs.
2. Invest in sustainable fashion
It’s time to take a cold, hard look at your closet.
The global fashion industry is responsible for more than eight percent of greenhouse gas emissions. Changing your clothing purchases to sustainable products is a great way to help lessen your impact.
What is sustainable fashion? This refers to items where the clothing supply chain is both ecologically and socially responsible. Keep your eye out for items that include:
- Made with sustainable material, like organic cotton, linen, and hemp;
- Colored with eco-friendly dyes that use less water, are natural or plant-based, or non-toxic;
- Designed with a focus on zero or low-waste design, for example they don’t use extra packing material or have additional waste in their manufacturing process.
There’s no better time than now to start taking steps to change your fashion practices, and help the industry make steps towards creating better clothes.
You can start your journey into the world of sustainable fashion by checking out thrift shops and purchasing from companies that are transparent about their manufacturing process and focus on using environmentally-friendly practices.
3. Cut the single-use plastic
Single-use plastic is massively out of style these days.
There are so many alternatives out there, that it simply doesn’t make sense to go with a solo use. Not only is it very environmentally unfriendly, but it costs you a ton of unnecessary money too. So lighten the load on the landfills and your wallet by eliminating or at least reducing your plastic waste.
Reducing the amount of water bottles, plastic bags, and other single-use products you regularly use doesn’t have to be a massive challenge or imposition. Replacing what you normally use with reusable items, like glass water bottles and canvas shopping bags is an excellent place to start.
4. Spread the word
The other big impact you could have doesn’t even require you to leave your home.
Spreading the word can be an excellent way to help further the cause of environmental protection, and it doesn’t require that much from you. Celebrate Earth Day this year by sharing valuable information that can help combat climate change with your social media network.
It might seem like a small thing to do (and you’ll probably want to do more to help further the cause of ecological issues), but you’d be surprised what you know and others don’t. It’s well worth it to share your knowledge.
How are you celebrating Earth Day?
While Earth Day only happens one day a year, you don’t have to wait until it comes around to focus on sustainable living. Let this be the first step that you take towards combating climate change, not the only one.
It’s not hard to implement small changes that can help protect and preserve the environment. The GarbageDay app can help by delivering regular tips and tools.