9 Things I Do For Earth Day Every Day

A few weeks ago infographics were nowhere on my radar. Michelle Shaeffer and LaKesha Brown brought them to my attention.

In celebration of Earth Day 2012 (or the current year), I want to share with you an infographic I found on this topic. I’m also sharing with you 9 things my children and I did (when they were growing up) and I still do today for Earth Day everyday.

What is Earth Day?

Earth Day – is a special day that celebrates the Earth!

Most of us are thankful every day for being with the ones we love and doing the things we enjoy, but we still look forward to our special day: our BIRTHDAY.

Yes, we should do things that are earth friendly on a daily basis but it helps to have a special day, EARTH DAY, to take an inventory of how we can improve what we do to show “Mother Earth” the love.

Here are nine things I do for Earth Day everyday.

These habits I’m sharing with you helped the earth and helped my children and I save thousands of dollars.

Recycle … I’ve recycled cans and bottles for 20+ years. In 2010, due to a knee injury, I stopped recycling. I was sso conditioned to recycle, I cringed each time I threw a can or bottle in the trash. I found a solution: I offered the bottles and cans to someone who was willing to take them to the recycling center in exchange for the cash.

Energy conservation … I turn off my laptop and PC every night. This was not always a habit.  Once upon a time, I left my PC on for weeks on end. My laptop was spared from this madness. My children knew that lights that were not in use had to be turned off. They didn’t always follow the rule, so it was left up to me to be diligent.  I now unplug electrical gadgets that are not in use. (phone chargers, toasters, etc.)

Water Conservation … I turn off the water while brushing my teeth. I fill the sink with water to rinse dishes instead of using a constant stream of running water.

Energy efficient washing machine … I’m now the proud owner of an Energy Efficient washing machine. If you purchase one of these machines, read the manual. I assumed this machine was like all the other washing machines I bought over the years … not so. When I used the machine for the first time, I thought it was defected and I called Sears to pick it up. I called my son to tell him about the defected machine and he said “Mom, did you read the manual?”

Unlike  my other washing machines, this one did not immediately start filling up with water; it first turns on the sensors to detect the size of the load, it makes a weird sound while the sensors determine the level of water to add. That sound led me to believe the machine was defected.

Paper recycling … I only purchase recycled printing paper and whenever it makes sense, I will use both sides of the paper.

Ink cartridges recycling … I recycle all of my ink cartridges.

Charitable donations … Instead of clogging the landfill with items that are still usable, I donate them to various charity organizations: Goodwill, Salvation Army etc.

Reuse … I reuse items when it’s safe to do so. For example:  my children’s grandmother enjoyed wrapping gifts. The wrappings were so beautiful you just wanted to sit and look at the gifts instead of opening them.  I didn’t put those beautiful wrappings in the trash. Oh no! I recycled them.

It turns out that many of the things we did as a family that were earth friendly, helped to reduce our living expenses. This was very important for a  mom who was the sole provider of four adorable children.

Reusable bags …  I’m taking my own bags to the grocery stores. Even Trader Joe’s paper bags fill up the trash pretty quickly.

It’s a wrap!

Check out Loving Mother Earth info-graphic below!

 

Your Turn,

What do you think of this Earth Day infographic? How do you show Mother Earth the love?

If you enjoyed reading this post, be sure to fill out this form to receive my blog post updates by e-mail, leave a comment below and share this with your family, friends and Social Media. – Thank you! =)