1- Plant a Garden
Now is the perfect time to really dig into your garden. Whether you start your plants from seed or pick up some starts at one of our local gardening stores, now is the perfect time to add some green (or colorful flowers) to your garden.
2- Switch to a Reef Friendly Sunscreen
With the start of summer approaching, now is a good time to look over through your sunscreen and discard old or expired bottles. The FDA requires sunscreen to be effective for up to 3 years, but heat and sun can make sunscreen less effective before the expiration date. Opened sunscreen should be tossed after a year. After sorting through you sunscreen supply, choose to replace it with reef friendly sunscreen to help protect our oceans. See suggests for reef friendly sunscreens here. See tips for picking a reef friendly sunscreen here.
3- Track and Reduce Your Single Use Everything
Spend one week tracking how many things you use around the house ONCE then toss or recycle- water bottles, paper towels, zip lock bags, napkins, saran wrap. How many of these things can you replace with their re-useable counter parts? Use cups or refillable water bottles instead of plastic ones. Switch dish rags and cloth napkins for paper ones. Order glass or bamboo re-usable storage solutions like mason jars or pyrex. Added bones, you won’t have to go back to the grocery story to restock these items.
4- Reduce Your Water Usage
While you are at home you can do a lot to reduce your water usage. Turn off the water during your 20-second hand washes, brushing your teeth and washing your face. Take shorter showers. Limit flushing when possible. Water your plants early in the morning so you can water less.
5- Change out those Lightbulbs
Here’s a bright idea! While you’ve got the time, switch your old incandescent bulbs to energy efficient LEDs or CFLs. You can also reduce your at home energy use by making sure to turn off lights when you aren’t in the room or opt for natural light if its sunny.
MORE EARTH DAY LINKS: