The month of April has hit, and we all know what holiday is coming up: Earth Day!! Earth Day is April 22, and frankly, the world is dying, and it scares me. Despite Earth Day only being one day during the month, we should try harder to take care of the planet for the whole month of April, or even the entire year. I've compiled a list of ways you can help take care of Earth this Earth Day on a scale of 1 to 5:
1: Start recycling
College students have massive amounts of paper, glass bottles, and aluminum cans. The average person has the opportunity to recycle more than 25,000 cans in a lifetime (source). All over campus are recycling bins, and every apartment complex has a designated place for recycling.
Difficulty rating: 1
2. Go green when you eat out
At restaurants don't use the straws or plastic lids they offer. When ordering takeout, there's often a go green option, opting out of plastic cutlery, paper napkins, and you can even do the same when eating out. We use 500 million plastic straws A DAY here in the US alone (source).
Difficulty rating: 1 out of 5
3. Get a reusable water bottle
Not only does getting a reusable water bottle good for the environment, but it will save you money!! Not only are 1 out of 5 plastic bottle recycled, but they can last up to 400 to 1,000 years in a landfill (source).
Difficulty rating: 1 out of 5
4. Limit your water usage while in the bathroom
This one is pretty simple, and they've kinda been teaching it to us since elementary school. Turn off the faucet while brushing your teeth, or limit your time in the shower. Listening to music while in the shower is a great way to time your showers, and to give you something to sing you.
Difficulty rating: 1 out of 5
5. Replace your grocery bags with reusable ones
Despite what you may think, paper bags aren't better for the environment than plastic bags. Plastic bags alone have greated a Great Pacific Garbage Patch that essentially is just a giant island of plastic garbage and waste floating in the ocean (source).
Difficulty rating: 2 out of 5
6. Dedicate one day to being vegetarian, or go meatless on the weekdays
Don't get me wrong, I love a good burger, but going vegan/vegetarian has a significant impact on the environment. Livestock industry accounts for more than 14% of global greenhouse gas emissions, and by switching to a vegetarian diet, you could save 7.3 million lives by 2050 (source). If you need more convincing, watch this TED Talk.
Difficulty rating: 2 out of 5, 2.5 out of 5 if you do weekday veg
7. Recycle unwanted clothes
Many stores offer incentives to their customers for bringing in unwanted clothing. H&M will give you a discount if you bring in clothing and they will turn it into recycled fibers, reused, or reworn. Amazon will give you a gift card for sending them unwanted books, kindles, phones, movies, and other technology. Madewell gives you $20 when you give them a pair of unwanted jeans that they will recycle into housing insulation. What's better than helping the planet? Getting paid to do so.
Difficulty rating: 2 out of 5
8. Walk or ride a bike instead of driving
If the place you are going to a place that is less than a mile and a half away, you can probably walk there. There's been plenty of times I could have walked when instead I have taken a car. Save yourself the gas money, and get some exercise along the way!
Difficulty rating: 2 out of 5
9. While your out and about pick up any trash you see
Basically it's a trend that is taking place in Sweden, and they call it "plogging". It combines the words pluck and jogging, and people are going out on walks/jogs/bike rides with a plastic garbage bag and pick up any litter they find. Worried about germs? Just bring a pair of gloves!
Difficulty rating: 3 out of 5
10. Compost
Depending on your living arrangement, your compost abilities may be limited. If you can build your own compost, great! If you make your own for inside your house (with worms), cool! If you live in an apartment like many college students, Amazon actually sells a compost you can store in your kitchen while protecting you from the smell. You can compost egg shells, food scraps, paper, and a lot more. Check in your area to see if there's a community garden with a compost pile, or a local composting center.
Difficulty rating: 4 out of 5
11. Live trash free
The average person makes 4.6 pounds of trash each day (source). Living a trash free lifestyle is not for everyone, and takes a lot of committment. However, if you're up for the challenge (even if it's a day), living trash free does save you a lot of money and helps you eat a healthier diet. Basically to live waste free, you aren't throwing out anything. Food scraps get composted, you use no plastic bags/packaging/products, you recycle everything you can, and people are able to store their trash in a mason jar. For inspiration check out this video or this story :)
Difficulty Rating: 5 out of 5
Even if everyone was to just do one item off this list for a day, week, month or even the whole year, such a difference could be made to the planet. One of the best things about taking care of the environment it that in the long run, you end up taking care of yourself, or saving some money on the way! Happy Earth Day and go out there and make a change!
