Earth Day for me is a reminder to appreciate Mother Earth, not only today, but everyday, and to remember that every little thing we do has an impact on the earth. Here are a few tips to help make your daily life a little greener...
- put up a 'pas de circulaires' or 'no flyers please' note by your mailbox (it'll change your life!). You don't need to buy an official sticker, we made one ourselves and it does the trick.
- sign up for online billing; you can usually do this through your bank, or check on the back of your bill (sometimes it even saves you money)
- pick up a stainless steel water bottle and/or travel mug; millions of water bottles end up in landfills everyday.
- bike to work; if you don't have your own bike, check out bixi bikes in Montreal
- make your own lunch... or if you pick up food, ask them to wrap it in wax paper instead of using styrofoam, or better yet, bring your own tupperware.
- eat less meat; factory farms are responsible for more than 18 percent of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide.
- compost your food scraps; if you live in Montreal you can get an outdoor composter at you local Eco Quartier or make your own worm composter
- recycle; I know this is an obvious one, but there are still some people who don't do it...
- buy a reusable canvas bag; carry one with you so that you're ready for the spontaneous grocery shop (they even make bags that fold up into teeny tiny squares, so that it won't take up too much room in your bag).
If you have any other suggestions or tips, please add them into the comments section, I'd love to hear them!
1 comment:
Great list, I'm happy to see that I use all those tricks.
- For those who can't bike to work for practical reasons, at least use the bike as transportation whenever you can (to go to the shops, the gym, to Yoga, ...)
- Reduce your water consumption: be aware of the waste when washing dishes, shaving, showering, etc.);
- Turn off the lights that are not used;
- Avoid buying items that have unnecessary extra packaging;
- Buy only green cleaning products (for laundry, dishes, general cleaning, etc.);
- Support companies who have taken green steps;
- Eat organic whenever you can to reduce the demand for chemicals (on top of being so much better for you as well);
- Choose earth friendly sports & recreational activities: ban jet skis, snowmobiles and other motorized gadgets from your 'fun' list;
- Go camping, hiking, etc.; nothing like getting that close to nature to appreciate it and want to protect it;
- use teleconferencing at work instead of travelling distances whenever possible;
- ... there's so much more, someone else's turn to add to the list : )
Post a Comment