Earth Day Hacks

Earth Day - a day to observe and be grateful for our planet. A day when millions of people across the world come together to promote a cleaner, safer environment. But what does this day truly represent? And what can it teach us about our everyday living habits?

Last year on Earth Day, we put out a blog post about how you can achieve sustainability in your home, a concept that’s become more and more popular over the years. And well of course we all want to commit to greener living on a large scale, sometimes it’s easier said than done. We touched on innovative methods like solar panel systems and rainwater collections, which prove to be highly effective ways to promote sustainability—however, those undertakings may not always be financially feasible or scalable for the average person. That said, we wanted to also provide simple and affordable solutions. Our Earth Day hacks  are small, but impactful changes that we can make as individuals to embrace green living. 

Photo Courtesy of GreenMinneapolis.com

Use Less Plastic

This task may be a little overwhelming when you start actually trying to use less plastic. Why? Because almost everything comes in plastic these days! Going zero waste is hard, but these easy changes to how you eat, drink, and store food will make a big difference. Use a mesh bag at the grocery store instead of their individual produce plastic bags, opt out of using plastic straws, carry your own water bottle around instead of purchasing bottled water at the store. The list of small things you can do to reduce usage of plastic goes on and on.
Click here for tips to using less plastic

Reusable Bags

Related to our first hack above, you can commit to carrying reusable bags when you shop. This one is obvious, however it’s amazing how easy it is to forget your bags! (We’ve all been there.) Store bags in your car so you’ll have them with you when you stop to shop. Designate separate bags for meat and dairy items, and remember to clean the bags on a regular basis to prevent harmful germs from accumulating and spreading. 
Click here for the benefits of using reusable bags

Plant Something

Trees not only cool things down (collectively, they can help decrease a city’s temperature by up to 10 degrees) but they also clean the air and give off more oxygen, among a ton of other benefits. If you need convincing, we’ll put this bug in your ear—trees can increase your property value! Another option is to plant a garden with your own fruits and veggies. This will not only benefit your health, but it will also reduce the amount of fossil fuel emissions by not having to transport the food to stores. If you lack the space to plant in the ground, consider starting a small container garden on a balcony, or growing in a community garden plot. The Twin Cities has tons of these!
Click here for more information on Minneapolis Community Gardens
Click here for more information on Minneapolis Community Gardens

One Meatless Day a Week

In 2012, Los Angeles became the largest city in the nation to support Meatless Monday, an international campaign to reduce the consumption of meat for health and environmental reasons. Colorado recently launched the campaign as well. It’s becoming more and more obvious that cutting down on meat consumption can significantly help lower greenhouse gas emissions.
Click here for small, practical ways to eat less meat

Compost 

Composting, you’ve heard of it by now, right? Compost is organic material that can be added to soil to help plants grow. Composting provides an environmentally sound method of recycling food (and even yard waste) and allows us to keep the materials from filling up our landfills. If you’re thinking about composting indoors, it’s super easy. First, you need a properly designed vessel. Once you have that, you can throw food scraps away with the exception of bones, meats and oily fats. Discard the compost with curbside pickup, or you can use the compost for your garden. It's a nutrient-rich food product and will help improve soil structure, maintain moisture levels, and keep your soil's pH balance in check.
Click here for a beginners guide to composting

With a little bit of work and some compromise in our own lives, we can make the world a greener place, even without clearing the wallet. What are some other Earth Day hacks!? We’d love to hear yours.