Each April is Earth Month, including Earth Day on April 22. We use this month to think about how we impact our environment in different ways. April is a great time to evaluate some of your own habits and consider how it could be affecting the environment. Then, you’ll be able to see where you might be able to make some adjustments in your family’s day-to-day. Here are some simple ways to be more green in your home and life.
Switch to Eco-Friendly Toiletries and Household Products
This one can be tricky. There are a TON of products on the market that appear to be eco-friendly and are even marketed as such. But they are not actually much better than their alternatives when you look a little bit further into them. Some brands that typically are truly better for the earth are Seventh Generation, Lush Cosmetics, Grove Cleaning Products, Aveda, Burt’s Bees, and Who Gives a Crap toilet paper.
The app “Healthy Living” is a great way to check products you use to see how they measure up in every area of health, including the environment.
This article has some great tips for more sustainable beauty products and routines to help you be more green.
Buy Secondhand
This is one that often gets overlooked as having an impact on the environment. From clothes to baby gear and everything in between, buying secondhand is not only easier on your wallet, it’s much better for our planet. There are a lot of different resale shops depending on what you’re looking for filled with perfectly good secondhand items. Also consider shopping at antique stores, neighborhood yard sales, and online platforms like Facebook Marketplace.
Visit a Refillery
Many cities, including Lansing, have refillery shops where you can take any bottle of your choosing and fill it with eco-friendly products like laundry detergent, household cleaners, bath and body products, and more. This helps cut down on single-use plastic and is usually more cost effective than buying new bottles in stores, allowing you to be more green. The Clean Refillery in Lansing’s REOtown offers local deliveries and also has upcycled bottles in the store that you can use in case you forget your own. As a bonus, it’s an absolutely adorable shop.
Eat At Least One Plant-Based Meal a Week
According to Project Drawdown, eating plant-based meals is the third most effective way to reduce carbon emissions globally. For some easy, affordable, plant-based meal ideas, visit any of these sites:
Plant-Based on a Budget
33 Easy Plant-Based Dinners
Plant-Based and Broke
Use Cold Water
Water heaters account for 20% of your home’s energy consumption. Using cold water to wash your clothes not only helps save energy and helps you to be more green, it can help maintain your the vibrancy of your clothing as well. While I will not suggest jumping on the cold shower trend, reducing the length of showers by even a minute or two can also help reduce energy use in your home.
