Today, April 22, we celebrate Earth Day, a powerful day for raising awareness about our environment. While Earth Day is a great event, it’s crucial to remember that the true environmental challenges we face require our attention daily. In this post, we’ll explore practical ways to reduce our carbon footprint, focusing on DIY recycling projects, composting tips, and eco-friendly products, emphasizing that every day should be Earth Day.

1. Embrace DIY Recycling Projects

Recycling doesn’t just mean sorting your waste into bins. It can be a fulfilling activity that reduces waste and repurposes old items, contributing to a more sustainable future. Here are a few ideas to get you started on your DIY recycling journey:

  • Jar Terrariums: Reuse glass jars to create small terrariums. A bit of soil, some small plants, and a few stones can transform an ordinary jar into a miniature green space.
  • T-shirt Tote Bags: Old t-shirts can be easily converted into tote bags. With just a few cuts and a bit of sewing, you can create a reusable bag for groceries or books. Get creative and have fun repurposing old clothes!
  • Bottle Bird Feeders: Plastic bottles can find a new life as bird feeders. Cut holes for bird access, fill them with birdseed, and hang them from a tree with a piece of string.
  • Make a Wild Bee Hotel: Bees are so crucial to our ecosystem that we made a wild bee hotel for our backyard, we used some scrap paper and a soup tin can. You can take a look at the full tutorial to make a Wild Bee Hotel on this video. 

2. Discover the Benefits of Composting

Composting is a fantastic way to reduce kitchen waste and enrich garden soil without chemical fertilizers. Here’s how to get started:

  • Choose Your Type of Compost Bin: Whether it’s a tumbler, a stationary bin, or simply a pile in the corner of your garden, there’s a composting option to suit any space.
  • Balance Your Greens and Browns: Ensure your compost is balanced with ‘greens’ like vegetable peelings (nitrogen-rich materials) and ‘browns’ like dried leaves or newspaper (carbon-rich materials).
  • Turn Regularly: Keep your compost healthy by turning it every few weeks to aerate it, which speeds up the decomposition process.

Note: If you live in Vancouver or North Vancouver, make sure you set out your compost bin scraps weekly for pick up. 

3. Opt for Eco-Friendly Products

Reducing your carbon footprint also means choosing products that are gentle on the planet:

  • Biodegradable Cleaning Products: Swap chemical-laden cleaners for those made with natural, biodegradable ingredients, which are much better for the environment.
  • Reusable Shopping Bags: Keep plastic out of landfills and oceans by switching to reusable shopping bags; keep reusable bags in your purse and your car.
  • Energy-Efficient Appliances: When replacing or upgrading home appliances, choose energy-efficient models that help save electricity and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Why Every Day Should Be Earth Day

While implementing these practices around Earth Day is a great start, the health of our planet requires a long-term commitment. Here’s why making every day Earth Day can lead to significant environmental change:

  • Consistency Leads to Habit Formation: The more regularly you practice eco-friendly habits, the more ingrained they become.
  • Small Steps, Big Impact: Every sustainable action, no matter how small, adds to a more significant global impact when adopted by many.
  • Inspires Others: Your commitment can motivate others to take action, spreading eco-conscious behaviours through communities.

Living an eco-friendly lifestyle is not just for Earth Day—it’s a year-round commitment that can dramatically reduce your carbon footprint and contribute to a healthier planet for this and future generations.

By engaging in DIY recycling projects, making composting a regular practice, and choosing eco-friendly products, you are taking crucial steps towards sustainability. Remember, each small step is part of a bigger journey toward protecting and nurturing our environment.

Let’s make every day Earth Day and work together towards a greener future.

xo