TerraCycle August 17, 2018
GOING GREEN: 60 SIMPLE TIPS FOR EARTH DAY & EVERY DAY
Earth Day was originally conceived by environmental activist John McConnellback in 1969. But it was U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson who founded it as an environmental teach-in held on April 22, 1970. Many people consider this event the birth of the “Going Green” movement. Observed every year on April 22, this day of environmental awareness has grown by leaps and bounds over the past 48 years. From the historic 2016 singing of the Paris Climate Agreement to the 2017 March For Science, it has become a day of great significance for eco activists. Coordinated by the Earth Day Network, there are now annual events held in 193 countries around the world to promote the idea that we, as humans, should protect the environment. But the truth is that we shouldn’t wait for Earth Day to practice environmental stewardship. Green living is a lot easier than you might think. It doesn’t require some big, grand gesture, but rather lots of little incremental changes that collectively reduce our negative impact on the planet. We call them “baby steps to going green.” READ MORE: What is Ecotourism? (History & Principles of Responsible Travel)
WHAT GOING GREEN MEANS
So what does it mean to “go green”? It’s really all about learning how to live a more mindful, eco-friendly, and sustainable lifestyle, and then putting that knowledge into practice.Report this ad
READ MORE: The Meaning of The Lorax (10 Eco-Lessons from the Dr Seuss Classic) Baby Steps To Go Green Hobbies That Can Offset Your Carbon Footprint How To Go Green In Your Neighborhood 5 Tips for Green Pet Care
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Going Green Recycling - Recycle old plastic bags into a new shopping bag!
REDUCE/REUSE/RECYCLE TIPS
1) Go to the America Recycles Day website, enter your zip code and Join An Event (most are on/around Nov. 15) in your community. Near our home, we located more than a dozen events ranging from Aluminum Can Round-ups benefitting local schools to metal and electronics recycling.Report this ad
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READ MORE: 15 Ways To Reduce Waste And Move Towards Waste-Free Living Do It Yourself Pallet Projects: 7 Simple Designs DIY Stoves for Off Grid Living 5 Reusable Products For A Greener Home Eco-Building Blocks for a Guatemala: Using Recycled Bottles in Construction
Going Green in the Kitchen
GREEN KITCHEN TIPS
6) Did you know that just by using a lid to cover a pot on the stove top, you can reduce your energy use by up to two-thirds? It also allows you to heat food faster, saving you both time and effort.Report this ad
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Going Green by growing food
11) Still have more coffee grounds to spare? You can use them to help remove grease and stuck-on food remnants from your pots and pans. Just mix the grounds with a little water and the coffee’s abrasive, acidic properties will make relatively cleaning quick and painless.
12) Keep the oven door shut! When baking, try to resist the temptation to peek at those cookies every 2 minutes to see if they’re ready to nom yet. Opening the oven door lets valuable heat escape and prolongs the time it takes for the food to cook, thus wasting a considerable amount of energy.
13) The microwave is your friend. Microwave ovens use up to 80% less energy than a conventional oven does. It also cooks faster, leaving you more time to commit to other environmentally-friendly activities!
14) Forgo your desire to be the next Martha Stewart and toss out all those fancy-shmancy cooking gadgets. Using good old-fashioned elbow grease is the most energy-efficient way to cook. For example, use knives instead of food processors, spoons rather than electric mixers, etc.
15) Baking soda and vinegar are not only great cleaners, but both are non-toxic and remarkably cheap. To clean counters, simply sprinkle baking soda on a wet cloth and wipe it down. Vinegar can also be used as a disinfectant. Use a little lemon juice to help cover up the vinegar smell.
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READ MORE: Making Sense of FDA Labeling How to Avoid Products Made With Palm Oil Why Palm Oil is Bad for the Planet Top Foods To Buy Organic (& When It’s Not Necessary) GMO OMG! What The Hell Are they Putting In Our Food?! The Monsanto Protection Act & GMO Foods 40 Healing Vegetables, Nature’s Medicine Invasive Species List: 10 Destructive Species You Can Eat Eating Wildly with Urban Foraging Expert Ava Chin
Going Green to Clean
ECO-FRIENDLY BATHROOM TIPS
16) A mixture of vinegar and water makes a miracle cleaner when it comes to getting rid of mildew buildup in the tub. Simply spray the solution on the problem area, let sit, then wipe away. Soap scum can be removed with a baking soda paste composed of baking soda and dish soap. Scrub with a toothbrush to remove stubborn patches.Report this ad
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READ MORE: 10 Ways For Using Castile Soap DIY Homemade Natural Hair Care Products 5 Environmentally Friendly Homemade Toiletries The Green Way To Organize Your House & Home
Going Green in the Home
HOME ENERGY-SAVING TIPS
21) Ceiling fans can be used to create a killer breeze, or simply to circulate the air from your AC throughout the house more efficiently. 22) Opt-out of any catalogs or subscriptions you don’t read or could read electronically instead. You can also opt out of receiving unsolicited junk mail by calling toll-free 1-888-567-8688 or visiting www.optoutprescreen.com(both operated by the major consumer reporting companies). 23) Replace any of your old appliances with Energy Star qualified appliances, including refrigerators, microwaves, washing machines, dishwashers, etc. These energy-efficient models use approximately 50% less electricity than comparable models. 24) In addition to thwarting peeping toms, closing your windows, shades, and blinds keeps the sun from turning your room into something Dante might have dreamed up. When night falls, you can open the ones oriented toward prevailing winds in order to catch the cooling cross-breeze. 25) Change your air filters regularly (once every three months is best if you have pets in your home) and upgrade your water heater. Then install a programmable thermostat to regulate temperature.
26) Insulation keeps the air in your home from escaping through the ceiling, so improving it can actually benefit your energy costs ll year-round. Make sure you seal the ducts around the vents and registers, where we can lose up to 20% of our cooled air. You can also get a tax credit worth 10% of the cost of materials, up to $500!
27) Small appliances such as TVs, cable boxes, Blu-Ray players, and video game system use energy even when they’re turned off. Consider unplugging items that won’t be used regularly, or get a power strip with switches to save even more energy.
28) Shield yourself from the brutal heat of the sun by planting deciduous trees on the east and west sides of your home. The broad leaves will provide shade to your house in summer, while still allowing warmth to shine through in the winter.
29) Incandescent light bulbs create as much heat as they do light, and home electronics stay hot even when they’re on standby. So shut ’em off completely to save energy and cool things down a notch. And consider replacing old bulbs with Energy Star bulbs, which produce 75% less heat.
30) Conduct a Draft Audit by inspecting all the rooms in your home to see where outside air may be coming in. Inspect all windows and doors, plus look for cracks in windows, walls, ceilings, etc. Next, seal windows and doors with weather stripping or plastic sheets, and fix any remaining cracks with caulk.
READ MORE: Spring Green Your Home How to Make Your Fireplace More Energy Efficient How to Audit Your Green Home Ted Turner on Saving the World with Alternative Energy NRG Energy CEO David Crane on the Ivanpah Solar Plant
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Water Saving Tips - use a rain barrel
WATER-SAVING TIPS
31) A full bath may be luxurious and relaxing, but it’s also very wasteful. An average bathtub can take up to 70 gallons of water to fill, while a 5-minute shower uses just 10-25 gallons. Better yet, why not shower with your partner? Together, you’ll save nearly 100 gallons of water!Report this ad
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READ MORE: DIY Rainwater Harvesting Tips How To Save Water: 15 Simple Conservation Tips Cirque du Soleil’s Guy Laliberté On His Water NGO, the ONE DROP Foundation Water.Org Water Credit Director April Rinne The Real Erin Brockovich on Water Pollution
ORGANIC GARDENING TIPS
36) Choose native plants with brightly colored red, purple and yellow flowers if you want to attract birds and provide shelter. Providing a source of water, whether via natural springs, birdbaths, or ponds, will also help to attract birds and other wildlife.Report this ad
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READ MORE: What Is Permaculture Gardening? (Intro to Design & Principles) Permaculture Design Principles (12 Steps to a More Productive Garden) What is Aquaponics? The Ultimate Beginners Guide Eco Friendly Gardening For Spring How To Make A Do It Yourself Vertical Garden How To Compost At Home Homemade Fertilizer Mushroom Growing Guide DIY Wildlife Habitat How to Attract Birds To Your Garden Benefits of a Certified Wildlife Habitat Is Will Harris’ White Oak Pastures the Future of Sustainable Farming?
Tips for Saving Gas
GAS SAVING TIPS (FOR ROAD TRIPS)
41) There’s a widespread rumor that using premium fuel helps to improve your car’s fuel economy. This is totally false. If you believe this, I know some BP executives who have a story about the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill not impacting wildlife to sell you.Report this ad
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READ MORE: The World’s Best Road Trips (World Travel Bucket List) Our Epic Fjords of Norway Road Trip A State By State Guide to U.S. National Parks 10 Awesome Australian Road Trips A Road Trip to 10 Incredible Iceland Waterfalls
Going Green Travel Tips
GREEN TRAVEL TIPS
46) Whenever you leave your hotel room, always turn off all the lights, heater or air conditioner, and TV. You can also close the curtains to keep the sun from heating up the room during the day.Report this ad
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Green Travel Tips - Shop Local Handmade Goods
51) If you go hiking, it’s best to do so with a local naturalist guide who can help you understand the ecosystem. If you do go alone, always tick to marked trails to avoid harming native flora. And consider taking a bag along to pick up trash you see along your journey.
52) Shop smarter. Read labels and don’t be afraid to ask questions like, “What is this item made from?” All over the planet, unscrupulous people sell items made from non-sustainable hardwoods, endangered species, and ancient artifacts. You have the power to vote with your wallet.
53) Try to book green hotels and eco lodges that use alternative energy sources, manages its water use and waste effectively, employs local people and uses local products, and has a recycling program. Look for certifications from LEED, Green Globe, Rainforest Alliance, and/or the Global Sustainable Tourism Council to ensure that they follow best practice for sustainability.
54) Buy locally made products, seeking out indigenous artisans and learning about their craft. It’s a much better souvenir than cheap, mass-produced crap from China. And getting to know the person behind the piece gives you a much better understanding of the local culture.
55) Speaking of local culture, embrace it! Try to learn a few words in the local language, listen to local music, eat what the locals eat, and maybe even learn a new dance step or two. Part of the fun of travel is learning how other people love and exploring traditions very different from your own. The more you engage, the more rewarding and transformative these experiences will be.
57) Remember earlier, how we suggested embracing local cultural traditions when you travel? It’s also important to be conscious of when local traditions do not align with responsible travel ideals. It may be popular to watch bullfighting in Spain, bear-baiting in Pakistan, and cockfighting in parts of Latin America. But that doesn’t make it ethical for the animals that suffer as a result.
58) Many places in Africa offer “walking with lions” experiences under the premise of helping with lion conservation. This a terrible idea, both for your safety and that of the animals. Often these facilities are breeding grounds for the illicit canned hunting trade! Cuddling an adorable lion cub may seem like a dream come true, but the reality is that it’ll be a hunter’s trophy within a few years.
59) If you’re going to go snorkeling or Scuba diving, make sure the tour operator employs responsible guides. Ask whether they allow divers to touch or stand on coral, chum the waters to attract fish, offer any sort of marine conservation education to their guests, or give back to the local community.
60) Don’t buy products made from ivory (or any other animal part, for that matter). Ivory comes from the tusks of elephants, walruses, hippos and narwhal, and were once traded amongst indigenous people. But now it’s illegal to buy or sell ivory, and doing so means you are directly contributing to the death of one of these increasingly endangered animals.
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READ MORE: What Is Ecotourism? (The History & Principles of Responsible Travel) 57 Simple Sustainable Travel Tips Any Traveler Can Use 7 Reasons Responsible Tourism is Better for Everyone 10 Steps to Becoming a more Responsible Traveler Using Permaculture Principles in Travel 8 Reasons Why Slow Travel is Better Travel Packing Tips for Long Term Trips How to Travel Responsibly to National Parks Guide to Ethical Eating When You Travel Green Boating Tips Are Backpackers Destroying the World? Green Travel Tips For Choosing Hotels What is Glamping? (A Guide to Luxury Camping) What is an Eco Lodge? (The Top 10 Eco Lodges in the World) 20+ Camping Tips & Tricks for Responsible Travelers
RESPONSIBLE ANIMAL ENCOUNTERS
56) Riding elephants is never OK, and it’s actually really bad for their bodies. Most of these peaceful pachyderms are put through a brutal training regimen known as the phajaan, which is violent, traumatic, and designed to crush their spirit. Elephants in the tourist trade (including those who paint on the streets of Asia) are often abused, usually at the painful end of electric prods or bull hooks.Report this ad
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