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Day 1:
Bring Your Own Mug
Do you like morning coffee or tea? Most of us do. Now just think how many styro-foam or paper cups the world goes through every morning. Bring your own mug to the local coffee shop and also to your work. Here at Erbaviva, we’ve all donated mugs to the break room – we all share and there is zero waste.
Day 2:
Take Your Own Bags to the Grocery Store
“After meeting the the “Bag Monster” from our friends at chico bag. http://www.chicobag.com/t-gallery.aspx and seeing how many shopping bags the average family goes through in a year I was horrified. Now I take my own bags to the grocery store. After I put my groceries away I immediately put them back in my car. It is one small things but makes me feel like I am making a difference.” Contributed by Ruby – our globe-trotting director of sales and marketing
Day 3:
Print on Scrap Paper
Being in an office, it’s hard to avoid printing on paper (although we try to do as little as possible). So instead of tossing inter-office memos, old charts, and other printed materials, we have a large scrap basket that we put these papers in. Then, when we are out of paper in the printer, we grab a big pile of scrap paper, turn them over so all the blank sides are facing the same way, and put them in the printer. By doing this simple task, you will reduce your paper usage by 50%!
Day 4:
Use Energy Efficient Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs
They don’t cost a lot more, last far longer, and use up far less energy – helping both the planet and your pocket-book. “If every American home replaced just one light bulb with an ENERGY STAR qualified bulb, we would save enough energy to light more than 3 million homes for a year, more than $600 million in annual energy costs, and prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions of more than 800,000 cars” http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=cfls.pr_cfls
Day 5:
Choose Earth Friendly Packaging
I was at the store the other day and purchased some crackers. I was astounded when I got home and opened the box. Within the large box were 4 smaller boxes, and then within each of those 4 boxes, were 3 smaller packages. That’s 17 separate pieces of packaging for 1 food product. WOW! Look at these things when considering a product – especially if the company says they’re earth friendly and they are using massive wasteful exterior frills – makes you think!
Day 6:
Take The Bus or Subway 1 day a week
Sometimes it takes a little longer to go by bus then by car and this can be one of the major reasons people are still so attached to driving. Try taking the bus just 1 day a week. This won’t impact your schedule much at all and you’ll save on gas, emissions, and road congestion. And guess what – you will get some more fresh air, see new sites, and meet new people!
Day 7:
Turn Off Lights
Just flip the switch when you leave the room. So easy!
Day 8:
Re-Use Boxes and Packaging Supplies
Whether you are running a business or raising a family, we all have a need to ship packages. When you receive a package, save all the packaging – box, peanuts, tissue. Then re-use these same materials to ship your package. If you are a business and want to go a step further, purchase recycled boxes and use bio-degradable packing peanuts.
Day 9:
Use Just 1 Paper Towel or None at All
“A friend of mine said her thing is to use just one paper towel to dry her hands in the restroom (rather than 2 or 3 like most people use)” Contributed by Grace – our amazing logistics coordinator who we would be lost without.
If at home, try using a hand towel instead of paper towels all together. If you don’t buy them, you can’t use them.
Day 10:
Make Something New Out of Something Old
Before you toss anything, see if there is another use for it. Can that interesting wine bottle or glass salt jar be used as a vase? How about your shoe boxes? Why go out and purchase plastic boxes to store items when you already have the same size boxes at home? Use an old towel to wash your car instead of buying sponges and wipes. Paint an old picture frame to match your new décor instead of tossing it. The possibilities are endless.
Day 11:
Buy Locally Grown Produce
Every town has a farmers market. It makes a wonderful outing to stroll through the booths and talk with the local farmers. By purchasing your food directly from them, you are not only directly supporting your local community, but you are cutting down on all the transportation, middle men, paperwork, and packaging required to transport food all over the country. Also, the food is fresher and has in most cases not been treated with any chemicals to retain it’s freshness (like are sometimes used when produce needs to travel long distances). Here’s a link to find a farmer’s market near you: http://www.localharvest.org/
Day 12:
Ride A Bicycle Or Walk To Work Or The Store
Again you don’t have to do this everyday – EVERY BIT HELPS! Set a goal for yourself and try to stick with it. Really think before you grab those car keys. Bicycling and walking are not only great for the environment but for your health as well. Hate the gym? Consider your bicycling to the office your workout for the day.
Day 13:
Buy Recycled Paper
When purchasing office paper, make sure to look for recycled. The cost difference is not much, if any at all. This is a great and super simple way to help save the environment. Sites like Staples.com when you click on recycled paper will even tell you the percentage of recycled content – 30 %. 50% or even 100%.
Day 14:
Renewable Energy Powered
Electricity production is the leading cause of greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global climate change. We at Erbaviva have partnered with 3Degrees (http://www.3degreesinc.com/) a leading national renewable energy and carbon offset company, who provides Green-e Certified Renewable Energy Certificates from renewable energy facilities across the nation. Check out 3Degrees yourself and start on your path to a cleaner future.
Day 15:
Full Loads
Whether you are shopping for groceries, doing a load of dishes or laundry, or dropping stuff off at the printer – make sure you have full loads. Buy a weeks worth of groceries at once instead of going to the store 3 separate times. Fill all the slots in the dishwasher – takes the same amount of water and energy whether it’s full or just got 1 plate in there.
Day 16:
Turn The Heater Down – Just A Little
I hate to be cold – so this is a really hard one for me. But by turning down your thermostat by just 2 – 3 degrees, over a years time you will be saving a significant amount of both energy and money. If possible, try also turning your heat off at night. It’s really easy to put an extra blanket on the bed, and that will save 8 full hours of spent energy.
Day 17:
Turn Off And Unplug Unused Electronics And Appliances
Whenever you are done using your computer, turn it off. Same goes for the CD player, toaster, lamp, and portable heater. All these items suck energy when they remain turned on and/or plugged in. Personally, I was always in the habit of unplugging the toaster, crock pot, etc. but never carried it over to my tv or computer. Why is this? I don’t know, but now that I look at it, it seems silly that I haven’t been unplugging everything else. Sometimes the cords are so far back that it is not convenient, that’s ok. Unplug the items you can. Also, try putting a lot of your computer peripherals on a single power pack; this way you can just pull one plug at night and make like a little easier.
Day 18:
No More Bottled Water
It’s funny how so many health conscious, eco-friendly people are addicted to their bottled water. They’re drinking it because they feel it’s cleaner and better for them – BUT it is horrible for the environment. Here’s a great article on CNN.com discussing the consumption and waste of bottled waters and plastics http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/04/06/eco.plastics/index.html
Alternative: Purchase a re-usable water bottle and refill it.
Day 19:
Turn Off The Faucets
This is something all of our Mom’s told us to do when we were in 2nd grade. Turn off the sink between dish loads, when brushing teeth, or washing your hair. It seems so simple, but so few of us do it.
Day 20:
Switch to Natural Cleaning Products
Just a few years ago it was difficult to find “green” or natural cleaning products. Now, you can go into most major grocery stores and find a decent selection of these products – and in most cases, they don’t cost that much more then traditional, chemical based products.
When choosing a green cleaning product, make sure it truly is free of chemicals and harsh ingredients. Just like all other products, don’t trust the front label. Turn it around and check the ingredient list.
Why choose a natural cleaning product: lower impact on the environment, less chemicals released into the air or poured down the drain, healthier for your family not to have all those toxins around, sends a message to manufacturers which will result in more “green” products on the market – just to name a few.
Day 21:
Wash Clothes in Cold Water
By washing clothes in cold water versus hot, you can save up to 80% of the energy required for a load. I do so much laundry every week, this is a huge savings!
Day 22:
Dispose of Household Hazardous Waste Properly
Household hazardous wastes include: paints, oils, batteries, pesticides, and cleaners. Some light bulbs, thermometers, and other products are also considered household hazardous waste. These items should not and cannot be put down the drain or tossed in the garbage. Every community has sites where you can take these products and dispose of them properly. I typed in Household Hazardous Waste sites Los Angeles into a search engine and a bunch of locations came up. Try it with your location!
Day 23:
Wrap Your Water Heater
According to the Seattle P-I “Wrapping a water heater with insulation can keep as many as 1,000 pounds of global-warming CO2 a year out of the upper atmosphere.” That’s huge!!!
Day 24:
Plant A Tree
If you have kids, this can be a great activity to do together. Once a year, maybe on Earth Day, you can go out and plant a tree. You might only be able to plant 1 or 2 in your yard, but there are other local places in every state where you can help plant trees. By planting a tree, you are re-populating the earth with it’s natural foliage, off-setting tons of carbon, providing habitat for lots of little creatures, providing natural shade, and renewing one of natures most precious resources.
Day 25:
Collect Shower Water to Water Plants
I doubt that any one of us just steps in the shower without first testing and getting the temperature to the right degree. Think about all that water you are wasting as you are adjusting it from hot to cold and back again, searching for that perfect temp. Try this: as you are testing, put a bucket under the faucet and collect all that water that would have otherwise gone down the drain. Then take that bucket and water your plants. Contributed by our very creative sales associate Eden
Day 26:
Use Funky Magazines And Comic Strips To Wrap Gifts
Buying paper just to tear it up and toss it. Hmmmm…..that doesn’t make much sense, but we all do it. Instead of going out and purchasing wrapping paper, make your own. Try using interesting pages out of magazines or the comic pages from newspaper. I know my husband along with my nephews would get a kick of the comics being used.
Day 27:
Purchase Food In Bulk And Refill Containers
Buying food in bulk means less packaging (usually). This also means less energy and resources spent to package it, waste going into landfills, fewer trips to the grocery store, and hopefully saving some money. If you like the feel of smaller detergent bottles or soap dispensers, then purchase one of the smaller sizes and keep refilling it from a larger container.
Day 28
Donate Your Used Cell Phone
We all know we shouldn’t just toss our old cell phones, so here’s a good alternative to just returning them to your cell phone company – Donate them! Recycling for Charities, http://www.recyclingforcharities.com/, is a great website that will enable you to select the charity which you want your cell phone donated to. You will then be able to print a shipping label. It’s really simple and a great way to help those in need.
Day 29
Pay Bills Online
Most every company now offers an auto bill pay option where you can set-up regular online payments. This is usually a free service and you can also request that they stop sending you your paper statements and view them online instead. So now you are not just saving the paper, envelope, and stamp of sending in your bill, but you are also saving all the paper and energy required to send out your statement.
Day 30
Share With A Friend Or Neighbor
This is something that all our parents and grandparents did and is a great resource that most of us overlook. Why do we have to buy so many things? Why does every house have to a lawn mower, a ladder, that extra-large roasting pan, or 15 wine goblets? We do we really need so much stuff! And then when it comes time to move, what do we do with it all? If you’re like most people, you get rid of a lot and then buy more in your new location. Yikes! Try borrowing items from friends or neighbors - if everyone shares, we will have a lot less waste.
Along the same lines of sharing, find a warehouse shopping buddy – sometimes those bulk quantities are just too big for one household. Try purchasing the 40 rolls of toilet paper and splitting it with a friend so you each get 20 – you’ve saved, money, energy, and excess packaging.
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