Earth Day at MMB
Wendy Smith
There are lots that individuals can do to have a positive impact on our planet. What better time to start than with Earth Day!
Single use plastics are the main things polluting oceans. With 300 million tons of plastic being produced each year, half of that is used for items like straws, sandwich baggies, water bottles, and food packaging. We can swap out these items with GoSili reusable straws, Stasherreusable silicone bags, and Pura 100% plastic free water bottles. Instead of putting produce in the thin plastic bags at the grocery store, bring a reusable one (or even a used one from your last trip).
Paper is another offender when it comes to taking up space where it shouldn't. Paper products account for about 1/3 of the waste found in landfills. It comes back to reducing single use items and ditching paper towels is one of the easiest ways to go. Marleys Monsters are the unpaper towel that are super absorbent and pick up the yuckiest of messes. We can also ditch the brown paper lunch bags and use a lunchbox instead. Tula makes some really cute ones that I think even grown-ups would be proud to rock at work.
When it comes to your kiddos, cloth diapers are a great way to save some money and also help out the environment by reducing waste that ends up in landfills. Smart Bottoms 3.1 are made with organic cotton so you can also trust where the materials were sourced. I get that cloth might not be for everybody, but even going to “part-time” cloth diapering can reduce waste. There is also Aiden & Anais disposable diapers that plant a tree for every pack sold, which is another wonderful way of chipping in.
Other ways to promote the health and happiness of Mother Earth is by being more conscientious about what products we buy in general. I switched to Taylorsdeodorant because I like the natural ingredients but also the fact it uses zero plastic in its packaging. I also started to make my own household cleaner at home with Dr. Bronner’s soap in a reusable spray bottle.
Start a toy exchange with friends instead of throwing out no longer used toys, or donate them to your local library or Goodwill. Maybe switch out your Keurig coffee for a French press with minimal waste. Not everything on this list will fit into every lifestyle, but even doing one or two can make a big impact if we are all in it together.
Lisa is a mom that is on a go green mission in her home and community.