Eco-Friendly Suggestions!

Earth Day is coming up! Have you wanted to be more Eco-conscious but don't know where to start? Well, below are 30 easy ways to help keep our planet alive long enough so kids being born now won't be living in a future that looks like Blade Runner!

I would love to live in a post-apocalyptic wasteland, but I don't want Marcy to!

I try to implement all these ideas below but I don't always succeed (but I like to think I'm pretty good). If you have suggestions or ways I can improve, please comment!

FYI - Going green can also SAVE YOU MONEY!

Kitchen

1. Green Bin & Compost

I believe all municipalities give out green bins now. I've heard all manner of excuses for not using it, but the top two are as follows:

"It's gross".  What's gross is throwing everything into one place. But if you put the organic waste in the bin or directly into a compost, it leaves your regular garbage pretty clean. I keep my bin in the fridge - it's emptied every other day (and if I left it on the counter Ruger would get it). I would love to have a compost in the backyard, but, again, Ruger.

"It doesn't really do anything." It is sometimes true that municipalities throw the organic waste into the regular waste. BUT, the reason some do this is because people aren't adhering to the garbage rules! If everyone used their green and recycling bins properly, municipalities would be better able to implement the system. Use your bin! 

2. Dish detergents  

I use green label dish-washing detergent. Basically I look for packaging that says the soap comes from sustainable or recyclable materials. It works just as well.

And for soap I get antibacterial, but I buy the Dawn version that saves the ducks. :)

3. Coffee Pods 

Rob and I use a French Press on the weekends for coffee (of which I buy fair trade or local), but during the week we have a Keurig. I only buy pods that are recyclable. I pile them up in a little bin by the sink and once I week I spend ten minutes taking them apart. Yeah, it's ten minutes, but it's not hard and it lets me listen to a podcast.

4. Plastic Bags

Get a reusable bag or bin, people! Keep an extra one in your car in case you forget. Sure, sometimes I overbuy and need a plastic one once an awhile. But I've saved hundreds of plastic bags over the years using reusable. And the bin is great for trips!

5. Produce Bags

I always see people putting apples and broccoli and other produce in those thin plastic bags, but you don't need to. You're going to wash it before you eat it, so why do you need to put it in another bag? Brussels sprouts/beans/okra make sense because they are small, but apples and peaches? And bananas and avocados come with natural packaging!

I judge people who put bananas in these

6. Tin Foil

I used to line my baking sheets with tin foil for everything but cookies, but then I realized how awful tin foil is (it's not as bad as plastic, but still). Now, unless I'm tenting meat (and even then I try to use a plate instead) or making potato/carrot/onion "camping" veggies, I just throw it on the tray. Scrubbing for a minute or so is not a big deal. I haven't bought tin foil since December. Which has  saved me money!

7. Beeswax Wraps 

Don't use plastic wrap ... use beeswax wraps instead! I LOVE these. My lovely aunt gave me some really pretty ones for xmas, but I also made my own last year! I had a recipe I was going to link, but it seems to have disappeared, so here is my version:
Cut 100% cotton (I used old clothes) into squares. Place that on parchment paper on a cutting board. Sprinkle the cloth with beeswax. Place another piece of parchment paper over top. Use your iron to melt the beexwax into the fabric (both sides), then hang to dry. It's THAT easy. Make sure to get 100% beeswax beads (not the kind for candles that are scented).

My homemade ones have lasted over a year and cost me like $10. Which has also saved me money in plastic wrap!

8. Water bottles 

Here is where I cast some shame. WATER BOTTLES ARE THE WORST. Seriously, THE WORST. They should be banned. If you need them for an event you should have to go the dump or some place and buy them from the government. Of course I realize we need them for humanitarian crises, but, they should not be sold for home use. USE A REUSABLE BOTTLE. Or, USE TAP WATER. If your tap water sucks, GET A BRITA. If you find water boring, like I do, at least buy cans of flavoured water and not plastic. The only place you should use bottled water is when the water is not potable. Sure, buying a 3L jug of distilled water for baby formula is acceptable, because babies need that, but otherwise? SHAME. SHAME SHAME SHAME.

Laundry

There is a lot in this category for such a small area of the home!

1. Detergent

Like dishwasher detergent above, I only buy detergent than is sustainable or used from recycled ingredients. It PISSES ME OFF that the mark-up on eco-friendly cleaning products is so high.

2. Dryer Sheets

I used to buy dryer sheets that were on sale. Then I only bought biodegradable sheets, but I can't find them anymore. So I just stopped using them altogether. What's the point of them anyway? I haven't noticed a difference at all. Saves me money for sure!

3. Laundry Line

I love my line! Unless we have a week of solid rain, I can go pretty much the entire summer without using my dryer. Not only is this great for electricity and the longevity of my dryer, but it saves tons of money! And the sheets smell so good!

4. Diapers 

After the first two weeks of her life, Rob and I switched Marcy to cloth diapers when we're at home. Yes, sometimes they leak. Yes, you have to pre-clean them a bit before you wash them. Yes, it's poop and pee. I have no issue with any of this - before the 1950s everyone used cloth. I simply deposit any poop into the toilet and then rinse off the pad in the laundry sink, where I have a line to store them until real washing.

When I first started I tracked how many cloth diapers we went through and I'd save over 100 a month. 100 diapers! That's like $500 a year in savings!

I wash them with the regular laundry and add a small capful of Lysol's Antibacterial cleaning solution, which kills any bacteria.

TIP: If you have stinky sports clothing (because it's bacteria that causes sports bras and etc to stink), add some of the antibacterial solution to your laundry load and they'll no longer smell!

5. Pads

I also use reusable pads. This is a great brand: https://lunapads.ca/. I don't wear them for long trips out of the house, but after the initial fee, they've saved me tons of money on sanitary products. Same concept as the cloth diapers above in terms of washing. 

Cleaning

1. Cat Litter 

You can put cat litter in the green bin! I simply scooped it into those paper "lunch" bags you can get at the dollar store. Simple! You can also consider switching from typical cat litter to corn or a more environmentally-friendly version.

2. Dog waste

I use the dollar store black bags for walks (and will be switching to eco-friendly bags, despite the mark-up) but most of the dogs' mess ends up in the backyard. I use one black bag for scooping and drop the dog bombs in a paper lunch bag, which goes into the big green bin. I think I counted 15 paper bags total after the winter thaw. Thanks, Ruger. Usually it's one bag a week.

3. Eco-friendly cleaning products!

You can use vinegar instead of Windex, for example. I'm bad with eco-friendly cleaning supplies myself, as I like to have antibacterial sprays for the bathroom and the kitchen. But I do use a eco-friendly soap for the floor and eco-friendly toilet bowl cleaner.

4. Toilet Paper Tubes

So often I see people throwing these out in the garbage! RECYCLE THEM, please! I have a box under the sink in each bathroom for toilet paper tubes. I simply empty the entire box out into the recycling once a month. And you can also throw other things in there, like shampoo bottles!

Yard

1. Veggie Garden

Not only is a veggie garden fun, but when you make your own food, you are saving the environment by not requiring any transportation (both from the farm to the store and from the store to your home) and you're helping the bees. As you know, bees are growing extinct, which will negatively affect us on so many levels. If you do have a veggie garden, plant wildflowers near or throughout it. Not only will it help your garden grow, but it will help the bees! Growing your own veggies also saves you lots of money! Especially if you grow expensive stuff like peepers. 

This was last year's plot

2. Rain Barrel

One of the best ways to save water is to have a rain barrel. I don't water my plants or garden with anything but rain water - I never have to turn on the hose. We bought one from Home Depot, but the city also has deals a couple times a year. Water bills are only getting higher, so consider spending a little up front to save money in the long run. I always water my indoor plants with the water from it too!

3. Watering your lawn is dumb

It's grass. Stop wasting water on it. If you really need to have your grass green, at least get a rain barrel and use the water from that. When I see a perfectly green lawn in the middle of a dry spell, I'm not impressed; I think the person is an idiot, quite frankly.

Food

1. Meal Planning

Do you sometimes go through your fridge and throw out unused food? I do it too, but a real way to crack down on this wastefulness is to meal plan. I bought a weekly chart from the dollar store and I plan out our meals in advance on Sunday night. Our food waste has dropped dramatically!

2. Methane 

If you know me, you know I'm a carnivore. I love steak. I love beef. I love tacos and chili and burgers. But, cows are a major problem for the environment. While we produce methane from other sources as well, livestock produces 14.5% of the global greenhouse gas emissions. There are studies showing that if cows eat probiotics it can lower the amount of methane they emit. But until the number drops, we need to eat less red meat as a culture. So, we try to limit it once a week. I'll replace beef with ground chicken or turkey in my ground meat dinners. Yeah, this one sucks.

3. Baby Food

Believe me, I love those little squeeze packs. They are super convenient and easy to feed to your baby, but they are very wasteful. Also, while they say "organic" (see below) and "no preservatives", that's not really saying it's healthy, because it means they are using natural preservatives, like sugar or salt to keep the food edible. As such, while I give them to Marcy now when we're out and about, she only got homemade mush from whole foods until she was about 12 months old. It was super easy to do and WAY cheaper than buying all those little packs.

Here's an example recipe: roast a sweet potato in the oven until soft, add a little bit of breast milk/formula, a small bit of unsalted butter, and blend it up. Then pour it into ice cube trays to freeze. Warm up a cube for baby's dinner. I did this with many different combinations of food (some she liked, some she didn't) and I still do this for Marcy's oatmeal, which has oats and 6-7 different fruits in it (with no added sugar or salt). Gives me 16 servings!  

4. "Organic" Food

Is Organic the way to go? There's a lot of confusion around what organic really means. In theory, it would be food that is grown in a "natural" way on a farm, not treated with hormones or chemicals (which sounds great). Yet, to be certified organic for store sale, it refers to using non-synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. But there is no proof that "natural" fertilizers are any better for you. Likewise, while organic farming has its benefits, it requires a quarter more farmland to produce the same amount as conventional crops, which is likely why it's more expensive and arguably not as great for the environment.

I don't care if my food is organic or not, as I'd eat a steak grown in a lab if it tasted the same and had the same nutrients. When I buy food I care about whether it's been farmed/grown for sustainability. And I try to get free-range/ethically farmed meat when I can. I'm more concerned with whether animals are treated humanely than the price or whether it has GMOs. That's why, if you happen to be with me in a restaurant that serves foie gras, I get very angry. Foie gras is produced by torturing ducks. They force-feed them until they die - it's how they fatten up the liver. Just like shark fins, foie gras should be banned. F*ck foie gras.

Other Ways to Go Green

1. Buying Used Clothes!

My favorite store is "Kait's Closet", which is when my sister gives me her old clothes for free, but I also buy clothes from used clothing stores. I don't buy everything used, but I'm not opposed to looking through the stacks at Value Village. It's cheaper, but mainly it's better for the environment. Clothes generate an enormous amount of waste. But if you reuse an item, it reduces the amount in the landfill. It takes approximately 1,800 gallons of water to make one pair of jeans. If you buy used, you're saving water.

Also, almost 80% of clothes are still made in sweat shops (H&M is terrible for this). When you buy used, you're not directly contributing to that company's mistreatment of workers.

2. Buying Used Cars!

Yes, new cars can be great, but they are not environmentally friendly. Sure, your new car might be a hybrid or better on gas, but that's a small part of the car's impact. Around 28% of a car's environmental impact comes from it's production! I'm not saying to get rid of cars of course - in North America it's hard to live without a car as our cities are so spread apart. And our transit system is terrible.

But, consider buying used. When you drive a new car off the lot its value drops by 20-30%. If you're going to buy a boring old sedan for $40,000, but not buy one two years older and save yourself $8000 in deprecation? 

3. Idling

While it is important to warm up your car on cold mornings to get the fluids moving, idling is terrible for the environment. There's a myth that turning your car off and back on again produces as much carbon dioxide as idling, but that's not true. So, if you're at a long light, if you're sitting in a drive thru, or if you're waiting to pick someone up, turn off the engine. It saves you gas!

4. Walk Your Kids to School

I'm going to sound like an old person, but I walked to school when I was 8 (and likely would have earlier, but my parents had my sisters and I go to a school further away with a daycare). It boggles my mind when you have parents driving their kids to a school less than a 15-minute walk away. If your kid is old enough to use the stove and stay home for a bit, they can walk to school. Sure, some kids are less mature than others, and sometimes people live in rough neighborhood, but, honestly, where I live there's no reason to drive a kid to school. But if you have to helicopter your little darlings, at least walk with them. Saves you gas!

5. Turn off Lights

Even if all the lights in your house are LEDs, you should still try to turn them off if you're not using them. It's a very easy thing to do to save some electricity. Over time, it will save you money!

6. Phantom Power

Ooh scary! This refers to when your electronic devices use power when they are seemingly turned off. This accounts for almost a quarter of your total energy use (up to $150 a year)! Computers, TVs, Tablets, etc. Hydro One has a very informative page about this here, but I will summarize.

Set your computers to turn off automatically. Go to your power settings and choose what makes sense for you. I have mine turn off after ten minutes of inactivity. "Screen savers" don't save electricity - have the computer go to Sleep instead.

I recently learned this one: unplug your phone charges when they're not in use. Apparently 50% of their electricity is lost as heat! Same with hair dryers, shavers, and curling irons.

Buy Energy Star appliances!

This isn't really phantom power, but if you have a TV running in the background, consider turning it off if you're not actually watching it. Not only is the TV using energy, but the speakers and whatever device you have to watch the TV are also using energy. I don't have PVR, but apparently that thing using a ton of phantom energy.  

Awareness and Rationale

Part of being eco-friendly is admitting that we, humans, are the problem. No one is saying we can't have our electronics, cars, or other things we like, but the idea is to think about sustainability in our daily lives.

For example, I don't buy Nestle products any more. Why? Because they are destroying our water systems in illegal ways - there are tons of articles about how they siphon water from natural forests and how they work without permits. They have also been quoted as saying they don't believe water is a human right. As such, I won't buy anything that has a Nestle label. No carbonated flavoured water, no Iced tea, no food products, nothing. Unfortunately they own a lot of subsidiary companies, so I probably do have their crap in my house somewhere.

Cruises. Now, I know this seems like a hypocritical thing from someone who loves to go on road trips and fly around the world, but Cruises are the extreme example of human waste and arrogance in the face of our planet. Cruises create as much carbon dioxide in one day as one million cars. Your individual carbon footprint while on a cruise is 3x that as on land. Not only that, but they dump sewage into the oceans and destroy corals reefs. Here is an article if you want to read more about how terrible they are.

I will never go on a cruise. Even if someone offered to pay my way.


Major considerations aside, how can one person/household using reusable bags or composting their food do any good? Think about it - if everyone stopped needlessly using stuff we don't really need, we wouldn't have global warming or such rampant pollution!  So, I ask you, for Earth Day, look at this list and try to implement one or two things. 

Thanks for reading!