We live on a pretty amazing planet and I believe we should all do everything we can to help protect it for future generations. With Earth Day coming up, (Wednesday, April 22nd) I think we could all do some reflecting and figure out what we can personally do better to help the planet. And since we’re still in quarantine, we now have the time to stop to pause and think about what we can change/implement to do our part.

Here are some ideas to get you started.

+ Recycle : Probably one of the easiest things to do. We keep a recycling bin in the house and drop off our recyclables every month to the local center.

+ Save electricity : Use energy efficient lightbulbs in your homes and turn them off when you leave a room/don’t need the light anymore. Unplug appliances that aren’t being used, like your coffeemaker and toaster.

+ Reduce your junk mail : unsubscribe to companies/brands that you don’t use. Go through your mail and make note of what you instantly throw away and take yourself off their mail lists.

+ Use Earth friendly cleaning products : Go through cleaning cabinets and try to get rid of anything toxic and harmful to the environment. There are a lot of cost-effective, green-friendly options out there on the market!  I order Mrs. Meyer’s Cleaning products off Amazon. This Multi-Surface cleaning spray is my favorite!

+ Go vegan for a day : The demand for meat creates an excessive strain on environmental resources, and the more we ask for, the more our planet suffers. If you can’t manage to go an entire day, maybe just try to skip out on meat for one meal. I do a vegetarian day every week, so I know its doable!

+ Switch bills to online : If you can and don’t already,  create accounts so that you can pay your bills online. This saves millions of trees every single year and IMO is also way easier to keep track of and handle, rather than waiting for paper statements to come in the mail.

+ Adopt an animal at a wildlife preserve : Adopting an animal pays for that animal’s healthcare, food, and rehabilitation. Without preserves or non-profit organizations, a lot of animals would be put down due to them no longer having a home (if they were wrongly bought as pets or injured and are unable to live in the wild). Do your research as to what organization you give your $$$ to though! I wouldn’t call Carol Baskin’s Big Cat Sanctuary a worthy animal sanctuary.