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Earth Day 2010 marks the 40th Anniversary of this official celebratory day. Online you’ll find a ton of promotions, Twitter parties and companies giving out coupons, hosting giveaways as well as offline festivals, green cleaning parties and local celebrations. A month where companies are really trying to make a eco-friendly impact, honor Mother Earth and shine the spotlight on “going green”. Of course, there is greenwashing and pinkwashing but what is most important is figuring out for yourself what you will do in your own home and life to make a difference.
I have a theory that it isn’t a competition or race; it is about starting where you’re comfortable and trying to lead by example for your family, friends and children. To provide you with some simple tips and ideas for starting “somewhere” here is my top 10 ideas celebrating Earth Day today and everyday.
1. Save With Green
Yes, start trying eco-friendly products you’ve wanted to try or love with coupons and subscribing
to some of your favorite brands and products for email coupons. This helps you save green but use the organic brands and products you want to use without going broke.
2. Be Loyal To Green
If you find a product you love, trust and you’re comfortable with the ingredients do yourself a favor and stick with the product. If you love a company but you don’t like the ingredients, let them know.
3. Learn To Reduce
It seems simple enough but just stop buying stuff you don’t need or think twice before you buy it. Use online websites like Get Buttoned Up, that give you organizational tips for decluttering your life. Start cleaning out that garage and use sights like eBay Classifieds (formerly, Kijiji) and FreeCycle. You can also start using something like a SodaStream instead of buying bubbly water all the time. This can really help reduce on your plastic usage, even if you are recycling.
4. Green Your Toilet Paper
Yup, start buying 100% post consumer recycled toilet paper. It is an easy change that makes your touchie happy (it won’t know I promise), it is affordable and you can save money with a coupon. You have to wipe, right?
5. Green & Clean
Easy, right? Well, it can be if you use products like ecoStore USA or stock up on vinegar and baking soda. Try hosting a green cleaning party and as a group with some eco-friendly cocktails or tea and cookies–make your own cleaners together! Did you know that in 1970 Arm & Hammer was the first sole corporate sponsor of Earth Day? You can use it for cleaning, exfoliates and polishing your silverware!
6. Start Reading
Become informed and learn more about ways you can go green or make a difference in your own life. I’ve written dozens of green book reviews but a few of my favorite include: The Smart Mama, Big Green Purse, and Eco-nomical Baby Guide to name a few. I also highly recommend reading some great blogs like The Soft Landing, The Green Parent, Green Daily, Healthy Child, Safe Mama, Enviromom, Inhabitots and The Green Phone Booth to name just a few.
7. Take off Your Shoes
Mom didn’t just tell you this because she was sick of you tracking in dirt and mud! When you take off your shoes you keep the environmental toxins out of your home that get stuck on your shoes. The lawn pesticides and “stuff” you don’t want baby crawling in and then putting their fingers into their mouths. Yuck! Read a Science Daily article on all of the nasty stuff that comes into our homes when we don’t take our shoes off!
8. Drive Green
No you don’t have to buy a Hybrid but you can make eco-friendly driving choices like keeping your tires inflated or not leaving your car idling. For smart and green car driving tips check out your drive smart calculator.
9. Eat Green
This doesn’t mean you have to buy all organic but you can grow your own food, even a tomato
plant and start there or here at the Green and Clean Mom community for ideas. Find a local CSA, garden with some friends and start cooking fresh food-even once or twice a week. Read about how to eat organic on a budget for some ideas and start somewhere and if you don’t grow your own food or shop at your local farm market at least wash your veggies and fruits well with vinegar and water to get the pesticides off your food. Check out the EWG’s pocket guide for information on pesticides and food.
10. Green Your Lunch
Green Your Lunch and Hand Washing. We don’t use antibacterial soap or hand sanitizer and guess what, we’re living, breathing and healthy. Become informed on the use of antibacterial soaps and hand sanitizers and if you use them don’t go overboard! When packing lunch think reusable bags eco-lunch gear.
Even if you decide to do one of the 10 things I have listed you’ll be off to a start and then it is up to you on how fast or slow you go in your green journey. Just begin and pat yourself on the back for making small changes. See a similar post on 10 ways to go green in 2010 for more ideas, links and inspiration.
Activities For Earth Day (Or Any Day)
If you’re looking for some fun ideas to celebrate Earth Day, don’t fret. Beyond the ideas I’ve already shared you, here’s some more Earth Day inspiration! From DIY bird feeders (which my kids love to make), to Earth Day cookies and play dough -there’s something fun to do for all age groups so enjoy! And Happy, Happy Earth Day!!
- Nature Shadow Boxes from Teach Preschool
- Fingerprint World from Busy Kids Happy Mom
- Earth Day Hunt from Kitchen Counter Chronicles
- Make Your Own Bird Feeders from East Coast Mommy
- Earth Day Playdough from Happiness is Homemade
- Earth Day Swirl Cookies from B-Inspired Mama
- Recycled Lid Glitter Bugs from Crafts by Amanda
- Paper Bag Tree from Look What Mom Found
- Leaf Puppets from Crafts by Amanda
- Egg Carton Greenhouse from Hazel and Company
- Recycled Magazine Flowers from Splish Splash Splatter Art
- Trash to Treasure Hunt from Creative with Kids
- Egg Carton Tree from
If you are a green pro, what other tips do you have? Where did you start?
Personally I love #9. Not only is growing food healthy and affordable but it leads to additional green activities like composting.
I think we all should be more green 🙂 some of the tips here I do follow and some I don't (I'm not perfect) 🙂 but I'm trying. I think that even the rubbish removal companies are already recycling more than 70% of the garbage.