Photos by Laurie and Charles Photographs
We all want to do our part to keep our planet healthy, but in our fast-paced world with multiple demands on our time, sometimes this is easier said than done. We’re sharing some creative – but simple! – tips, and would love to hear from you about your favorite sustainability ideas. Let us know what works for you!
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- Familiarize yourself with your city’s recycling rules. This link might help you weed through all of the red tape.
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Recycling procedures vary from city to city and determine everything from what you can recycle, to how to separate various materials, to where you leave your recycling bins.
- Be conscious of water usage.
- Investigate signing up for a water cooler service or installing a water filtration system in your kitchen so you don’t have to use as much bottled water in your home.
- Consider the packaging.
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Can you reuse your take-out food packaging or that zip lock bag? Becoming more aware and intentional when making purchases will move the needle in the right direction bit by bit.
- Wash it in cold.
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Washing in cold saves enough energy to charge your smartphone for a lifetime in just one year of cold-water cycles. There are products on the market like Tide Purclean that are designed specifically for cold-water washing.
- Clean and declutter.
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Take a page or two from Marie Kondo, Gretchen Rubin (or whomever your minimalist spirit animal might be) and see what you can comfortably get rid of, repurpose, recycle, or donate.
- We probably are aware that we should avoid single-use plastics, but it is easy to forget that canvas grocery bag, straw, coffee cup… the list goes on. Some ideas:
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If driving is your main mode of transportation, keep extra tote bags in the trunk. We’re big fans of this one! You could even try these eco-friendly produce bags.
If walking or public transportation is how you typically get around, here is a small, easy-to-clean option that we love.
Consider keeping your reusable straws in the console of your car or in your bag so that they're on hand when you need them.
- Find a nonprofit, national or local, that supports the cause that means the most to you and speaks to your heart.
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Donate, volunteer, spread the word.
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- Start small.
- It’s one thing to make a plan, it’s another thing to stick to it. Start small and do your best to develop good habits that won’t make your life more complicated but will contribute to more sustainable living.
- Small actions add up to a collective, bigger, and positive impact. Make change happen.
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We hope these tips were helpful. And, please share other ideas and suggestions; we’d love to hear from you!!