Everyday is Earth Day

As we celebrate our beautiful planet, Mother Earth, my hope is that we honor her every day of the year. Earth Day helps remind us we can all do a little better. Sometimes the state of our planet can feel so overwhelming we don't know where to start. I thought I'd share a few lesser-known causes of pollution you may or may not have heard about. Awareness is the first step to change, and my hope is that some of these ideas spark action in you.

1. Eat plant-based one day a week

Adopting a whole-food, plant-based diet isn’t just good for your health, it’s also one of the best things you can do for the environment. Plant-based diets produce 75% less heat-trapping gas, generate 75% less water pollution and use 75% less land than meat-rich diets.

Animal products (meat and dairy) in general require more resources and cause higher emissions than plant-based alternatives. The World Health Organization says, “Reducing livestock herds would also reduce emissions of methane, which is the second largest contributor to global warming after carbon dioxide.” 

Impacts of going plant-based one day a week:

• Saves 133 gallons of water with each meatless meal.

• Reduces your carbon footprint by eight pounds each meatless day you participate in.

• Committing to eating meatless once a week equates to the same reduction of emissions as cutting out 348 miles of driving.

2. Change How You Do Laundry

Microplastics are released into the environment when synthetic clothing is washed, worn, and disposed of. These microfibers, a type of microplastic, originate from synthetic fabrics like polyester, nylon, and acrylic. Washing synthetic clothes is a major source of microplastic pollution, with a single wash load releasing millions of microfibers into wastewater!

To reduce microplastics from going into our water, try using a Cora Ball in the wash. Cora Balls helps reduce fiber shedding off of clothes, so the Cora Ball effectively protects your clothes helping them last longer while also protecting the ocean.

Other Planet-Friendly Laundry Tips:

• Wash in cold water.

• Fill washer only 3/4 full.

• Air dry as much as possible.

• Try spot washing rather than washing all your clothes every time you wear them.

Other things to consider: Buying clothes made of natural dye, organic cotton, hemp and bamboo rather than synthetic materials.

3. Don't Buy Household Cleaners - make them!

Commerical cleaning products are full of harmful chemicals. Many have been shown to harm us as well as our environment. So before buying that all-purpose cleaner or toilet bowl scrub, try making your own. These solutions are not only natural, effective and environmentally friendly, but also much more cost effective. There are dozens of different recipes on the internet, but here are a couple simple ones to try.

All-Purpose Cleaner: 

• Combine equal parts white vinegar and water in a spray bottle (preferably a glass bottle).

• Add lemon rinds and rosemary sprigs for a fresh scent.

• Let the mixture infuse for a week for best results.

• Strain or remove plant material and you're ready to clean.

  
  

Toilet Bowl Cleaner: 

• Combine 1 cup of baking soda and 1/4 cup of citric acid in a bowl.

• Sprinkle the solution into the toilet bowl.

• Add 1/2 cup of vinegar.

• Scrub thoroughly and flush.

4. Reduce Toilet Paper Consumption

15% of deforestation is due to Big Toilet Paper production! We are literally flushing nearly 10 million trees every year! Thankfully, bidet users report using up to 75% less toilet paper than the average wiper. Washing with a bidet is much more sanitary and cleanses your bum two times better than wiping with toilet paper. (Learn more perks of bidets at Tushy)

While Americans tend to shy away from bidets, they are widely used in most parts of the world. There are many brands on the market so do some research, once you make the swap, you'll never go back!

Remember we aren't striving for perfection, but I hope you agree can all try to be a little bit better, a little kinder to our incredible planet - which includes all living things that live here. If that means eating differently one day a week, tweaking how to wash our clothes, making our own cleaning products or reducing TP usage, whatever effort you put forth helps.

Make everyday Earth Day!