This post is sponsored by EarthHero. Save 15% on your purchase all Earth month long with code EARTHMONTH.
For the month of April, you can save 15% off of all purchases at EarthHero with code EARTHMONTH.
EarthHero takes their impact very seriously and are dedicated to reducing their consumption and lowering their environmental impact in every way possible.
They care deeply about the details, even down to the stickers the on their shipping boxes! They are made from the highest possible percentage of post-consumer recycled paper and are printed with low-impact dyes and non-toxic glue.
With something like that, you can trust that EarthHero takes a sustainably lifestyle seriously and they are dedicated to making it simple for you too!
Earth Day Bucket List
1. Plant a tree in your yard.
Of course this on my Earth Day Bucket List! Not only are trees beautiful in an outdoor space, they help clean the air and produce oxygen. Stop by a local nursery and ask a professional’s opinion about what’s best to plant in your area.
If a tree doesn’t work for you, consider other plants or even flowers too! A windowsill herb garden also makes a great contribution.
You can even do this with your kids and tell some earth day jokes while you’re planting to make it more memorable!
2. Reduce the microfiber impact from your laundry.
Every time you do laundry, synthetic clothes release hundreds of thousands of microfibers — which are tiny plastic and chemical coated fibers — that end up in polluting our water?
According to Cora Ball, It’s even estimated that NYC alone has 6.8 BILLION microfibers flowing into its harbor each day. The Cora Microfiber Laundry Ball catches the microfibers that naturally shed from clothes in the wash. It is made fro
3. Switch to compostable trash bags.
Normal trash bags take 500 years to decompose. These compostable trash bags are made from Mater-Bi — which is an innovative family of bioplastics derived from the starches of plants, vegetable oils, and compostable polymers.
Using these can help reduce your family’s dependency on plastic in the kitchen! They compost rapidly and safely when placed in a municipal or commercial composting facility.
4. Start using earth-friendly menstrual products.
Pads and tampons end up in landfills — imagine how many that could be over time! There are many other options like silicone cups and reusable pads that can help cut down on monthly waste.
5. Finish using your single use containers and switch to glass and Stasher bags.
I’ve raved about Stasher bags before but I love how versatile they are! You can really use them for so many things. And it’s so wonderful that they take the place of traditional plastic bags.
These bags are made out of non-toxic, BPA free pure platinum silicone and can be reused over and over again! I would go for the 4-pack starter kit that has 1 s
For the month of April, you can save 15% off of all purchases at EarthHero with code EARTHMONTH.
6. Pledge to support climate and environmental literacy.
You can take the pledge to support climate and environmental literacy at EarthDay.org! According to the website,
Climate and environmental education need to be incorporated into all subjects and grade levels worldwide to develop a citizenry ready and willing to take action.
Now is a crucial time to adapt education systems to enhance climate and environmental literacy. Join us in supporting the enhancement of climate and environmental education in schools today!
Sign the pledge and stay involved! Earth Day happens once a year but every single day matters when it comes to our planet.
7. Swap to a zero waste deodorant stick and shower less often!
Okay hear me out – do we *really* need to shower every single day? Probably not! It doesn’t bother me to shower every other day unless I’m doing something particularly messy or sweaty.
Showering less often means less wasted water. I also only wash my hair once a week (but I totally get that that is personal preference!).
It took a while for me to get to this point, but now that I’m here, I love that I only have to do a full shower once a week.
Once I got there, I started looking for other ways to cut down on my product usage too. That’s when I discovered zero waste deodorant sticks!
This one from Meow Meow Tweet comes in a push-up style paper tube. It has nourishing plant oils for soft skin and utilizes baking soda, magnesium and arrowroot to absorb excess moisture. It’s also aluminum-free and comes in two dreamy scents:
8. Use locally grown and locally sourced ingredients.
The less distance our food has to travel, the better! Using locally grown and sourced ingredients helps reduce the amount of carbon emissions from transporting them. Plus, you’ll support your local economy as well!
9. Get familiar with your area’s recycling program and sort accordingly.
Every area has different rules about what can and can’t be recycled. For example, my new area doesn’t even collect recycling – you have to separate all of the items yourself and bring them to the facility on your own. This is a high barrier of entry for anyone who wants to recycle! But it is doable and we can make the effort.
10. Instead of trashing older items, consider selling them or giving them away.
I’m a huge fan of reselling things! If I can possibly re-home something instead of throwing it away, I consider that a huge win. Use resources like Poshmark, Mercari or Facebook Marketplace to find new homes for items you no longer personally need.
11. Switch to refillable shampoo and conditioner (or bars!) to reduce waste.
We use so much packaging in our personal products — and much of that does not get reused or recycled! Refillable shampoo and conditioner can cut back significantly on packaging. If you want to go even further, switch to shampoo and conditioner bars that have no packaging. It’s much better for the environment!
And back to a previous point, if you shower less, you’ll use less products which means you’ll both buy and throw away less packaging!
12. Meal plan to use what food you have and cut down on excess food waste.
I’m more guilty than I’d care to admit of wasting food in the past. Meal planning has helped me waste so much less food! Instead of wasting little bits of leftovers, knowing that we are planning to have meals for more than one night and making the exact amount of servings we need has helped immensely!
I like to plan around what we have in the fridge and base our meals off of what’s going to expire soon. It’s helped us save a lot of money, too. I consider it a win-win all around.
13. Give your kids kid-safe items you’d otherwise trash for art supplies.
If you’re a parent you know firsthand that kids would rather play with the box the toy came in than the toy itself, am I right? So why not take a bunch of recyclables and let them have at it! I like to save toilets paper rolls and egg cartons for crafts!
Give your kids some glue and supplies and let them go at it! Or get Pinterest-crafty and follow a tutorial online. There’s lots that can be done with items that would be trashed instead.
14. Hang dry your laundry instead of running the dryer.
This is a simple one but can make a huge difference! Dryers are energy-heavy appliances and air drying your clothes will use less energy (and lower your electricity bill) but it will also help extend the life of your clothing! If you want to learn more about how much energy your appliances use, here is a handy calculator.
15. Use newspaper or craft paper instead of wrapping paper.
I noticed last year that a lot of wrapping paper said it was recyclable, but as I paid $4+ per tube, I had on my mind what else I could use instead. Plus, a lot of wrapping papers that have glitter or are made with certain materials might not be able t be recycled in your area. So why not use something that you know can be recycled instead? Newspaper or craft paper are some of the first things that come to mind!
For the month of April, you can save 15% off of all purchases at EarthHero with code EARTHMONTH.
16. Commit to no driving at least once a week.
Driving less is another great way to help the planet. If you can, try to go at least one day a week without driving! You’ll save some mileage on your car, some money from gas, and you’ll be doing the environment a favor!
17. Make it a point to gift Green Toys instead of other toy options.
We have a couple of Green Toys in our home and my son in obsessed! I love the quality of them and that they are made from eco-friendly recycled plastics from milk jugs. And fun fact: Each pound of recycled milk jugs used to create Green Toys products saves enough energy to power 3,000 AAA batteries, a TV for 3 weeks, or a laptop computer for a month!
It makes me feel good about what I’m buying in a world where there is an abundance of children’s toys that aren’t made to the same earth-friendly standards.
18. Use reef safe sunscreen.
I didn’t know about the damage sunscreen’s were causing to the coral reefs around the world until a few years ago. Ingredients in suncreens like oxybenzone and octinoxate wash into the water and cause damage to and can even kill coral reefs. Coral reefs help protect coastlines and are fragile habitats for marine life. They need to be protected to keep our world healthy.
You can also send your empty bottle back to EarthHero, and they will recycle it through TerraCycle – I love that EarthHero makes it easy!
19. Use un-paper towels.
I discovered un-paper towels last year and I love using them in my kitchen! Paper towels are one of the most thrown-away household products each year.
These reusable paper towels are made from organic cotton and serve the exact same purpose but they’re washable! I highly recommend adding them to your list of kitchen supplies!
20. Learn more about how climate impacts the planet.
Climate change is an ongoing problem that affects all of us. Each of us plays a role in not only how we live our everyday lives but staying educated on the topic and educating others too. You can keep learning and stay up-to-date with resources from EarthDay.org.
For the month of April, you can save 15% off of all purchases at EarthHero with code EARTHMONTH
I hope you find some inspiration to make some earth-friendly and sustainable changes through the Earth Day Bucket List! Let me know what you would add in the comments. And don’t forget you can save 15% off of all purchases at EarthHero with code EARTHMONTH!
About the Author
Nicole Booz is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of GenTwenty, GenThirty, and The Capsule Collab. She has a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and is the author of The Kidult Handbook (Simon & Schuster May 2018). She currently lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and two sons. When she’s not reading or writing, she’s probably hiking, eating brunch, or planning her next great adventure.
Website: genthirty.com