April 22 is Earth Day and it’s important to consider your own habits and find ways to improve how you care for the earth. It’s essential to protect our home and ensure a better world for future generations, and you don’t need a lot of money or resources to make beneficial changes. Here are four easy and inexpensive ways you can love the environment a little more.
Unplug
There’s one source of power using up loads of electricity that you may be overlooking–the devices in your home. Between hair tools, lamps, chargers, TVs, printers and kitchen appliances, your electricity bill, and toll on the planet, can really take a hit. Simply unplugging devices and electronics when you aren’t using them is an easy way to live more sustainably and reduce this impact.
Go Thrifting
Fast fashion is one of the most harmful industries to the environment, and every bit helps in reducing this extreme cost on our environment. Instead of buying from fast fashion retailers, consider shopping at a thrift or vintage store. It’s an awesome way to find unique pieces and save lots of money. You can even swap old clothes with a friend or attend a flea market for some more new finds without increasing your carbon footprint.
Plant a Garden
Growing some of your own food can benefit not only the environment, but also save you some money. Plus, you’ll end up with great-tasting fresh produce. Pick up some veggie or herb seeds and choose a spot to raise your crops. You don’t even need a huge yard–you can plant things in a window box, indoor pots, or even utilize a community garden. Planting a few flowers will beautify the outdoors while providing for bees and wildlife.
Learn to "Precycle"
You may already be recycling, but there’s a way to limit your environmental impact before recycling is even necessary. At the grocery store, consider the elements of how each item is packaged. Try to choose the options with the most minimal packaging to reduce the amount of waste you’ll end up with. Other strategies are to avoid using plastic produce bags, and not purchasing pre-sliced fruits kept in wasteful plastic packaging. Even when shopping online, see if you can request that your items be shipped without excess packaging materials, or shop from websites that are committed to sustainable shipping.