Its Earth day…. What should we do?

Jeddah, Nada Jamal, Nebrass Today is Earth Day, which raises awareness about the health and preservation of our planet. While today might be the one day that really drives the point home, the big changes will come when Earth Day is celebrated every day by changing old habits into more ecologically-minded ones.

Here are some small and easy ways to conserve resources and create a better world. The best part? Most of these result in financial benefits for you as well. Everybody wins!

Also, remember that this is a relatively short list. If you have some great tips and tricks, be sure to add them in the comments!

Reduce

This one is the easiest to do and has the biggest impact: buy less stuff. If you want a new movie or your favorite band just released a new album, download it from iTunes instead of buying a physical disk. If there’s a book you’ve been dying to read, think about picking it up as an e-book or borrowing it from your local library. Instead of just rolling your eyes when you get a mailbox full of junk mail, open them up and call the company to get taken off of their mailing list. This saves on paper and also saves you the hassle of having to sort through the clutter on a daily basis.

Reuse

Empty peanut butter jars, paper towel cardboard rolls, old t-shirts, bottle caps, dryer lint… All of them can be reused and repurposed. If you have not heard of Pinterest yet, you need to head over there (I’ve made a board filled with ideas from the items listed to get you started). Nearly anything can have a second life. Not only does this reduce the amount of garbage and recycling you need to drag out to the curb every week, but it also saves you from having to pay for whatever you end up making. If you’re not crafty or can’t find a good use for certain items, bring them to an elementary school or daycare center instead of tossing them out. I guarantee they will be put to good use.

Recycle

If you’ve reduced the amount of things that you’re really just ready to get rid of, recycle what you can. If you do not have curbside recycling offered to you, just wash what you can and keep it until you have enough to take to the recycling center. First, find out what kind of recycling services are available in your area. Just because a plastic container has the recycling icon stamped into it doesn’t mean that your facility is capable of processing it.