Earth needs us now more than ever. As more and more humans are staying home, we're slowly but surely seeing changes in the air, sky, and waterways, illustrating the not-so-great impact we make on our planet. This year, while we're all home on Earth Day, let's work together to help to continue making the world an even better place.
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Reuse those toilet paper rolls and Amazon boxes. If you're anything like me (and the rest of the country), you stocked up on toilet paper and paper towels at the beginning of the lockdown. Did you know that the cardboard tubes inside of those items can take two whole months to decompose in a landfill? Instead of throwing the cardboard pieces away after each roll is gone, use them to craft something beautiful. Not only is this helpful for the environment, but it is a great way to keep kids active and learning while doing so. You can build anything from dog puppets to shark toys, binoculars to superhero cuffs, and so much more.
Also (again), if you're anything like me, you've been doing a ton of online shopping and you have a lot of empty cardboard boxes ready to be recycled. Use those boxes as storage options, game activities, or you can even build your own doll clubhouse. - Open your blinds and keep your lights off. Now that spring is here, the sun is (mostly!) shining, providing natural light everywhere you look. During the daytime, open up your blinds and keep your light switches off as often as you can. At night, try to only use lights as you need them, making sure that they're turned off in rooms that your family is not in.
- Skip the balloons. While everyone is home and parties are postponed, many of us are hosting birthday parades to celebrate our loved ones. Instead of buying and using balloons to decorate your car, try creating some homemade recyclable crafts instead, like these pompoms! Balloons often get released into the sky, ending up in bodies of water, hurting animals and wildlife.
- Clean up your neighborhood. If your family takes frequent walks around the neighborhood, plan to take a garbage bag next time to help do your part. As you walk, pick up stray pieces of trash that have blown away in the wind or that someone has littered. Be sure to wear gloves and don't pick up anything that might hurt you, like glass. Safely dispose of the garbage bag and gloves in your bin when you get home and wash your hands thoroughly.
- Create a nature scavenger hunt and see how many items you can find. There are so many interesting things to find right in your own backyard! Look for different kinds of rocks, trees, plants, bugs, and anything else that catches your eye.
- Turn off the water while you're brushing your teeth. By turning the water off while you're brushing your teeth, you can save up to eight gallons of water a day. Imagine all the water you can save by taking shorter showers too! In a time where everyone is way more conscious about washing their hands longer and more often, we need to respect our planet's water source now more than ever.
