It’s that time again, and while most people love trick-or-treating or spreading yuletide cheer, we couldn’t be more excited to celebrate our favorite holiday of the year – Earth Day! 

Earth Day is a time to celebrate the planet, raise awareness about our need to protect it, and reflect on what we can do to show our respect. 

This year, we challenge you to go beyond contributing just one day this year. We want you to change a habit (or a few!) to take care of our planet all year long.

Turn off the lights. 

It’s pretty simple – if you leave a room and no one else is there, turn off the lights. If your done watching television, turn it off. Being mindful of your electricity usage is one of the simplest things you can do to protect our Earth. So, shut them off, pull back the curtains and let that natural sunlight pour into your home.

Decrease water usage. 

Believe it or not, leaving the water on while brushing your teeth wastes 5 gallons of water a day – yikes! It’s a small thing to remember, but so important that we all do it together because it makes a huge impact. 

Also, be aware of any leaky toilets in your home. Leaks can waste up to 20 gallons of water per day, so pay attention to your bathrooms and ensure everything is working correctly.

Go paperless. 

Does your bank offer paperless services? It may be time to give it a try. Receiving banking statements online means you’ll still get a statement every month, and you can review older statements at any time. Trust us; once you try paperless, you’ll wonder why you didn’t do this a long time ago!

Fortunately, there are many places where you can opt-out of paper. Some of those areas include:

• Sign up for email billing statements and online digital payments.
• Request no receipts at grocery stores and Fast-Food restaurants. 
• Utilize apps for keeping a calendar and creating a to-do list.
• Consider switching your favorite print media to an online version. 

[Want to know about recycling paper at the office? Click here!]

Avoid plastic when possible. 

It might be easy to buy bottles of water in bulk for your family, but it’s not good for the environment. All those empty bottles pile up in landfills, which release greenhouse gases. 

Want to know a secret? Bottled water is treated tap water, so why not invest in a filter to treat your water? They’re not expensive and overall will save you money compared to your monthly bottled water expanse.

Start composting. 

Composting is an excellent way to give back to the planet, and it’s fun to get the whole family involved to reach a common goal. There is a misconception that food simply breaks down in a landfill without any issue. However, those veggie scraps from that salad you made will rot and produce methane gas if not composted.

There are several ways to compost but if you don’t have a garden, try collecting your food scraps and keeping them in the freezer during the week. When you’re ready, bring the leftovers to your local farmer’s market if they have a compost station. You can also ask your local natural foods store if they compost.

Take electronics to a recycling center. 

Do you have old cell phones, computer parts, cords, headphones, and other electronics sitting somewhere collecting dust? Electronic waste is becoming the biggest category of trash globally, so gather your unused techy items and bring them to the nearest recycling center.

Green up your commute.

The ability to drive a car to any destination is convenient but not so great for the Earth. Each day you leave your vehicle at home, you’re saving over 750 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions each year! Try other means of getting to your destination, such as carpooling, public transit, biking, or walking. In addition to saving the Earth – you will be saving money! 

Earth Day is about enjoying and appreciating the world around us. This Earth Day take a moment to remember why our planet is worth protecting and start giving back to our Earth every day. 

We hope you try some of our tips above and discover new ways to help our world. For more ideas, Carolina Fibre is here to help. Check out our blog for more information, or contact us today!