Green Up Your Routine in Just 4 Weeks
Eco-Tips for On-the-Go Families to Celebrate Earth Month
It’s Earth Month! As a part of our commitment to organic, sustainable farming and being good stewards of this place we all call home, we’ve put together a list of easy ways that you and your family can care for the environment. Between running errands, your school’s car line, extracurriculars and everything in between, it’s easy to forget how our everyday activities impact the planet. We’ve broken our tips into weekly goals to make things simple. Before you know it, you’ll be reducing your carbon footprint, improving your health and living more sustainably.
Week 1: Ditch the plastic water bottles.
We know it’s easy to grab a plastic water bottle from the garage fridge on your way out. But what if you switched to a reusable water bottle that actually kept your water cold all day? Score! While reusable water bottles might seem expensive at first, think about the benefits! You won’t have to buy a big case of plastic bottles around the grocery store anymore. It won’t take long before you’re saving money and helping the environment. Kleen Kanteen, Yeti and Stanley all make reusable, stainless steel bottles in various sizes for the whole family to reuse and enjoy.
Week 2: Pack a bento-style lunch box.
How does a waste-free lunch sound? Say goodbye to brown paper bags, prepackaged plastic utensils and endless plastic baggies. Reduce your family’s landfill contribution when you pack lunches in reusable bento boxes. Check out Lunch Bots or other similar styles on Amazon. You can also opt for reusable storage bags like Stasher to cut back on plastic sandwich or snack bags. Beyond financial savings, bento boxes help you practice better portion control and increased produce variety when you focus on filling the bento compartments with seasonal colorful produce. Plus, your kids won’t have any trash to dump in the lunchroom on their way back to class.
Week 3: Try a travel alternative.
Not everyone is in a position to buy a hybrid or electric vehicle. That doesn’t mean you don’t have other options for reducing your car’s emissions and your usage of fossil fuels. If this fits your schedule and route, try carpooling with coworkers to the office, or work from home when possible. You can also coordinate carpools for the kids’ after-school activities to reduce the number of cars all going to the same place. Try looking for other opportunities in your weekly routine to cutback as well. For example, do you live in an area where you can easily walk or bike to dinner or the park?
Week 4: Shop with reusable totes.
Who doesn’t love compliments from the grocery store staff when they thank you for bringing your own bags? Make an effort to always bring your recyclable bags with you by leaving them in your car pockets or trunk for easy access. Already doing this? Fantastic! Now you can take these bags a step beyond the grocery store. Recyclable bags can be used almost anywhere – Walmart, Target, the mall and more! Soon you won’t be contributing to your never-ending stash of plastic bags anymore – and that’s a good thing!
Are you inspired to care for Mother Earth? We are! Take our four-week challenge and implement these simple tips every week during Earth Month. With just a small investment of time and resources, you’ll be greening up your routine and making positive changes that are good for your family and our planet. Together, we can make a difference!
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in March 2013 and has been updated for freshness, accuracy and comprehensiveness.
