It’s Earth Month and thank goodness we’ve graduated just from Earth Day! It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the burden of reducing our environment impact. However, we’ve got lots of easy ways to go green.
Don’t feel like you need to make all of these changes at once! Rather, take a look at this list and pick one to start and make it a habit. Then add another!
Go Paperless
Effort level: Easy
Pretty much every bill we receive these days has a request for us to switch to ebilling. This is easy, free and painless and for the most part can be done with the click of a button. However, be sure to add a reminder to your calendar if you’re worried the bill will be buried in your email account.
Another easy option is to turn on auto-pay and never miss a payment.
Recycle batteries
Effort level: Easy – medium
Batteries shouldn’t be tossed in with the rest of your trash, but it’s easy to ignore this advice if you don’t have a system in place. Recycling batteries requires two simple steps.
First, get a receptacle to hold your batteries while you’re collecting them. Our city offers free battery buckets just for this purpose, but any container will do.
Second, locate your cities hazardous waste disposal center. Often these are drive through locations where you won’t even have to get out of your car.
Switch to reusable paper towels
Effort level: medium
This is a change I need to make for our house and there has never been another time. If you buy towels made from cotton flannel, they’ll stick to each other so you can roll them up on a paper towel roll for easy access on your kitchen counter. Or, keep a pile in a drawer or a basket.
We recommend a basket under the sink for storing dirty towels. Or, just take them directly to the laundry room!
Use Cloth Napkins!
Full confession: often we use dish towels for napkins with dinner. I think it’s time to level up a little bit.
The good news is there are so many great options available at every price point. Target has you covered, of course.
My heart belongs to these muslin napkins that I found on Etsy, however. I love the size and the fact that I’ll never have to iron them.
As much as I want to save the earth, I’m not sure I can be convinced to switch to cloth toilet paper.
Ditch Plastic Water Bottles
While I think there is a time and place for the occasional plastic water bottle, reusable is the way to go for everyday use. Everyone has a favorite bottle. Personally, we love both the Owala and the Stanley!
Pro tip: Keep your filled water bottles in the refrigerator so they’re as easy to grab as a disposable bottle.
Recycle Your Coffee Pods
Effort level: easy/medium
I love my Nespresso machine so much but don’t love the waste of a single use pod. Fortunately Nespresso has a free recycling program that makes it easy to participate.
Keurig made a commitment to make all of their pods recyclable by the end of 2020 and they’ve made good on their promise. They’ve even upgraded to easy peel lids to make the recycling process easy.
Don’t forget to check out Keurig’s instructions for recycling available on their website.
Compost
Effort level: medium
You don’t need a huge house or outdoor space to start composting. You can start with a countertop system! We like this option from Oxo that’s affordable and easy to clean.
Not sure what you can and can’t compost? Either are we! Thankfully, this list of what to put in your compost bin is super helpful.
Check out this list of ten ways to use your mature compost.
Go Solar
Effort: Easy for the consumer, but the cost will be significant.
So many of my neighbors have solar and I’m endlessly envious of them come mid-summer when they’re not agonizing over their electric bill! Plus, have solar energy makes it easy to take on an electric car knowing that your electric bill won’t soar.
There are so many options, be sure to read reviews and get several quotes before committing to an installer.
Eliminate Plastic Baggies
Effort level: Easy
This is an easy switch to make, but feels a little painful simply because the convenience of a single use bag is hard to let go of. The gold standard in reusable baggies is Stasher.
Yes, Stasher bags are expensive, but they are easy to clean, have a great seal, and will last a long, long time.
Bring Your Own Grocery Bags!
Effort level: Easy (just don’t leave them in your trunk!)
Who has a trunk full of bags and still forgets to bring them into the store? This girl right here!
I love that these bags are affordable and collapse down to nothing, saving space in your trunk and making them easy to even throw in your purse.
Switch to LED lightbulbs
The next time your replace a lightbulb, choose a LED option. Not only will it last longer, but it uses much less electricity. We noticed a marked reduction in our electric bill when we swapped most of our lights to LEDs.
Choose a programmable or smart thermostat
Effort level: easy
Don’t waste energy heating or cooling a house that you’re not spending time in! Set your thermostat to a warmer temp (in the summer) when you’ll be away from home, and save that cool air for when you’re home to enjoy it!
Consider a Whole House Fan
Effort level: Easy but initially expensive
If you haven’t heard me preach about the joys of my whole house fan, listen up! A house fan will pull outside air in and push hot air out. The fan also moves the superheated air in your attic out. A house fan uses a fraction of the energy that your air conditioning uses.
Even if you still opt to use your air conditioning, running a house fan first will help your air conditioning to cool your house faster.
Choose reusable period products
Effort level: easy
From reusable pads to menstrual cups, having your period no longer means a trash can full of products at the end of the week.
Not sure where to start? Check out this list of the 20 best waste-free period products.
Switch to reusable cotton pads
Effort level: easy
Choosing reusable bamboo pads over disposable cotton balls will not only save you money almost immediately, but you will also stop tossing cotton rounds in the trash every night when you take off your makeup.
Bring Your Own Straw!
Effort level: easy
No one loves a straw more than I do, but we know how terrible they are for the environment. Reusable straws are available in glass, silicone and stainless steel so choose your own adventure!
Recycle Your Electronics
Effort level: easyish
Electronics like cell phones and computers require special handling to recycle. You can often find a hazardous waste disposal in your city where you can drop them off for free.
Sometimes, you can even earn a little money for your unused electronics.
- Apple Trade In – trade in your old Apple products for an Apple gift card
- Gazelle – Buy and Sell cell phones and other devices
- Best Buy Trade In – Free recycling plus a Best Buy gift card for qualifying devices
Replace Your Air Filters
Effort level: easy
Your heating and air conditioning will run more efficiently with clean air filters. Add a reminder to your calendar to change them quarterly.
Check Your Tire Pressure
Effort level: easy
Improperly filled tired can mean reduced fuel efficiency. You can check the pressure at home and add air if necessary for free at most gas stations.
