Earth Friendly Tips and Practices
April is Earth month! We only have one Earth and we need to take care of it, so we are breaking down tips and information in the 3 R's of Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. Life gets busy and there has been a lot going on but we must remember to be diligent on taking care of the earth.
Reduce
Reducing waste to begin with is by far the best thing we can do to impact environmental change. Here are a few ways we can reduce waste.
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Meal plan to reduce food waste
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Buy food in bulk with no packaging in reusable containers, with recyclable packaging
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Turn off running water when washing dishes and brushing your teeth
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Unplug appliances when not in use
- Buy higher quality clothing that will last longer instead of "disposable fashion" thats cheap and you only wear a few times before tossing
- Try to buy things you only really need instead of impulse purchases or the latest and greatest
- Donate when you can instead of throwing things away
Reuse
Reusing things again and again instead of disposable items or items that get used very little. Many substitutes can be made for reusable items to create less waste
- Bring your reusable tote instead of disposable plastic bags, like your TuTu Tote
- Ditch plastic cups, plates and utensils for reusable ones or more sustainable palm and bamboo versions
- Use a reusable water bottle instead of buying single use plastic ones like your TuTu water bottle
- Swap disposable straws and snack bags for silicone versions
- Use glass jars and containers to reuse as storage
- Buy things from a consignment shop or join online groups and swaps to buy second hand. Things kids grow out of quickly especially, you can find great clothes, books, furniture, and toys.
Recycle
Recycling is a great way to take old things and to make them into new things. It's always a good idea to check with your local facility what they accept for curbside recycling.
Things you probably didn't know you could recycle:
- Staples has a large recycling program you can bring items in-store or some mail-in, ink and toner cartridges, batteries, and old electronics.
- Often eye doctors' offices will collect old glasses, or even local libraries.
- Your local pack-and-ship store will likely accept foam peanuts for reuse
- Crayons: This program collects crayons from around the country, melts them down, and sells 100% recycled crayons
Things you CAN'T recycle in most curbside recycling programs:
- Plastic utensils
- Mirrors and broken glass
- Wax-covered paper cartons and cups (like stock, coffee, juice)
- Bubble wrap, plastic packaging
- Styrofoam
- Aerosol cans
- Food-soiled paper products
I hope this helped you find new ways to think of our Earth and be more sustainable. To help teach littles these topics in a way they can easily understand, use the picture book TuTu Goes Green and add it to your library.
Tag TuTu's Green World on social media with your favorite ways to be sustainable.
-Tulani
