Five Easy Ways to Save the Planet

If you are anything like me, you live for nature.  The fresh smell of a forest, the sounds of waves crashing against the rocks, the stars that come out when you are hours away from society.  I can’t get enough of these things!  With our current administration, our planet is taking a back seat which in my opinion, totally blows!  That being said, I’ve put it on myself to do the best I can to make my carbon foot print a little smaller.  If you want to join me, here are five things that I’m going to enforce in my household to make my carbon foot print smaller and give back to our magical planet!

1.  Not taking the plastic bags at the grocery store- I know you can recycle these, but do we really even need them?  If you wash your fruits and vegetables (and you should) you can simply place them in your cart without plastic bags, put them in your own bag or a paper one at the store, then take them home and wash them.  I’m doing the same with my runs from Target, Walgreens, and everywhere else.  Let’s reduce our plastic waste.
2. No more bottled water- I’ve never been one to buy bottled water unless it comes to camping or on a road trip.  I bring my Hydro Flask everywhere, and it’s amazing.  It keeps things hot or cold, and now there are so many great brands of reusable bottles that do the same.  In the U.S. alone, 1.5 million barrels are used every year to make disposable water bottles- that’s disgusting.  Buy yourself a Hydro flask or something like it.  I’m also implementing the same with my coffee dates and bringing my own traveling coffee mug.
3. No more plastic straws- from here on out, my drinks will not be as mixed when I get them from the bar, and that’s ok.  Plastic straws are terrible for the environment and the video of someone pulling one out of a sea turtles nose??  Ahhhh- that’s enough for me.  If you haven’t seen it- here’s the link– beware.  It’s so sad.  I might just start bringing my own dry pasta noodles to stir or even tongue depressors!  These things are also great if you have a coffee station at work.  Replace those plastic straws with dry pasta noodles- but that person at the office– I’m totally with you!
4. Compact Florescent Lightbulbs– CFL’s use 75% less energy than standard incandescent bulbs.  Bonus- they also can save you about $30 off your electric bill over their lifetime.  It’s a win win!
5. No more exfoliating body or face scrubs with plastic micro beads.  Products that have the “exfoliating micro beads” are made of plastic.  These plastic pellets go down the drain and go straight into our water supply. Plastic debris are responsible for deaths of more than a million seabirds every year, as well as more than 100,000 marine mammals.

Want other way to reduce your carbon foot print?  Here are some great resources!  I am so curious to know what you are doing this year to make the planet healthier?

https://www.plasticoceans.org/the-facts/

https://oceanlegacy.ca/facts-on-plastic-pollution/

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/22/easy-ways-to-save-earth_n_5168684.html