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Celebrate the Earth Every Day - Advice from the Sustainability Committee

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Celebrate the Earth Every Day - Advice from the Sustainability Committee

The Sustainability Committee was formed in 2017. Their mission is to engage and educate learners in order to build a culture around the ideals of environmental responsibility and sustainability.

They have some advice, tips, and tricks to help families help the earth in honor of Earth Day.

Benefits of buying locally grown food

Locally grown food is full of flavor. When grown locally, crops are picked at their peak of ripeness versus being harvested early to be shipped and distributed to your local retail store. Produce at local markets has often been picked within 24 hours of your purchase.

Eating local food is eating seasonally. Even though we wish strawberries were grown year-round, the best time to eat them is when they are in season. They taste better than ones available in winter that traveled thousands of miles and were picked before they were ripe.

Local food has more nutrients. Local food has a shorter time between harvest and your table, and it is less likely that the nutrient value has decreased. Food imported from far-away places is often older, has traveled and sits in distribution centers before it gets to you.

Local food supports the local economy. The money that is spent with local farmers and growers all stays close to home and is reinvested with businesses and services in your community.

Local food benefits the environment. By purchasing locally grown foods you help maintain farmland and green and/or open space in your community.

Local foods promote a safer food supply. The more steps there are between you and your food’s source the more chances there are for contamination. Food grown in distant locations has the potential for food safety issues at harvesting, washing, shipping, and distribution.

Local growers can tell you how the food was grown. You can ask what practices they use to raise and harvest the crops.

Adapted from source: http://msue.anr.msu.edu/news/7_benefits_of_eating_local_foods

How to reduce waste when packing school lunches

  • Use a reusable lunchbox. You’ll be able to cut your waste and can also save over $450 annually.
  • Use reusable containers. Ziploc makes an inexpensive one-piece container that is divided into 3 compartments and has only 1 top that can be purchased at Walmart, Target, and local grocery stores.
  • Pack old silverware or even wash and reuse plasticware.
  • Use a cloth napkin.
  • Buy food that doesn’t come in individual packaging.
  • Send a reusable thermos or water bottle.

You may be thinking, “But my kid throws away all that stuff!”

Tell them not to stop at the school garbage can, but instead bring it all home. Any food that is leftover can be used as a snack, and you will get all your stuff back!

Creative ways to conserve water

Having a shower, cooking your dinner and flushing the toilet all add up to an average of 140-170 gallons of water per day for every American. Reducing water usage and waste helps protect wildlife and saves the energy needed for treating and pumping water for our homes.

Turn off the taps. You use about 5 gallons of water if you leave the water running while brushing your teeth, and a leaky faucet can waste 100 gallons a day. These small changes can make a difference!

Shower with less. It’s easy to linger in the shower when you’re sleepy in the morning –timers can help. And switching to an efficient shower head will allow you to lather up in less water.

Save up your dirty clothes and dishes. Washing a full machine load of clothes or dishwasher of dishes uses less water and energy than 2 half-loads. This means lower bills as well.

Get a low-flush toilet or aerator on your faucet. The average household flushes 5,000 times per year. Modern dual-flush systems use just 6 liters – or 4 with a reduced flush – much less than the 13 liters for each old-style single flush. An aerator on your faucet can reduce your water from 15 gallons/minute to only 3!

Catch rainwater. Installing rainwater bins saves you turning on the tap to water the garden. You can also cut water use by 33% by watering plants manually instead of using automatic sprinklers.

Reduce your meat consumption. Reducing the use of animal products, even a small amount, can have a considerable impact, as meat production requires more water than other agricultural products.

Reducing Energy Consumption

Make a habit of turning off all lights and electronics when not in use. Institute a “switch off when done” policy for computers, televisions, telephones, air conditioning units, lights, and other electronics when you’re not using them. This can save you hundreds of dollars in energy bills and reduce your energy consumption.

Switch to compact fluorescent light bulbs. These bulbs use 75 percent less energy than typical incandescent light bulbs, and they last 10 times longer.

Use power strips for multiple gadgets. If you have lots of electronics or appliances that require an electrical outlet, plug them into a power strip. When these items are not in use, you can switch them all off at once to prevent “phantom” energy loss.

Use a smart programmable thermostat. Smart thermostats can be controlled by your mobile phone/tablet, allowing you to change the temperature when you’re away. They also provide a better overall reading of the temperature in your home and heat or cool your home more efficiently than regular thermostats. If you set back the temperature by 10 degrees for eight hours every night, you'll lower your heating bills by 10 percent.

Choose energy-efficient appliances. Look for the Energy Star label on appliances, which indicates that they are efficient. Switching to energy-efficient appliances can significantly reduce your energy consumption and energy bills.

Carpool, ride your bike, or take public transit to the office. Adjust your daily commute by carpooling with coworkers, it will keep one more car off the road and reduce the amount of energy you use via fuel. Public transit is also a great way to limit your energy consumption.

Plant a tree. One well-placed shade tree can reduce your cooling costs by 25 percent. For maximum benefit, place leafy shade trees to the south and west, and evergreens to the north.

Natural Cleaning Products

Today an average family uses 30 gallons of various chemical cleaners every year. These products which generally contain substances harmful to health and the environment, often find their way into water, air and soil. Find more natural solutions, and have a positive impact on the planet!

Buy low-phosphate soaps and dishwashing detergents. Increased phosphorus causes excessive algae in our nation’s water bodies; this overabundance disrupts ecosystems and causes fish kills.

Wash your windows with vinegar. Most window-cleaning fluids contain synthetic compounds that are harmful to rivers. Replace them with a gallon of water to which you have added a few spoonfuls of vinegar. Apply this with a cloth or newspaper instead of a paper towel.

Replace paper towels with a sponge. The volume of waste produced on the planet is rising quickly. A sponge or fabric towel can be washed and reused, reducing waste.

Use baking soda to clean your oven. It is less damaging and just as effective!

Buy refillable products or concentrates. Reducing packaging enables raw materials to be saved, pollution to be reduced, and transportation to be avoided.

Do not use chemicals to unblock the toilet. Most of the toxic chemicals used to unblock pipes contain lye or sulfuric acid. They are highly corrosive and dangerous. Instead use a mixture of boiling water, baking soda, and a plunger.

Avoid toxic chemicals on your lawn. Instead of using pesticides and herbicides, find natural ways to get rid of weeds and pests. Where only a few scattered broadleaf weeds are present (like dandelions), consider spot-treating weeds with vinegar rather than applying an herbicide over the entire lawn.

Clean air

Air is all around us. We breathe it all day and all night. The air we breathe helps fuel our bodies so we can think, move and play. If the air is dirty or polluted, it may result in runny noses, scratchy eyes, coughing or difficulty breathing. So, help us to keep our air clean!!

Use public transportation. Air pollution is at the top of the list of problems caused by motor vehicles, followed by car accidents, noise, erosion of habits by roads and freeways, and damage to plants and animals. By using public transportation, less cars are on the road (a bus can take 40 cars off the road).

Walk or bike to school, whenever possible. Find bike routes in your town and use them!

Join a carpool or vanpool to get to work if biking or walking isn't an option.

Maintain your vehicle properly. When vehicles are not in good working order more pollution is emitted into the surrounding air. Keep your tires properly inflated and consider buying a hybrid or electric car.

Paint with brushes or rollers instead of using spray paints to minimize harmful emissions.

Waste Reduction

Everything you throw in the garbage, tie up and take out to be collected is going to end up in a landfill. By making less trash, you can reduce your impact!

Say “no” to individual portions (e.g., coffee, milk, and sugar). These use 10 times as much packaging as buying in bulk, and extra packaging adds 20% to 40% to the cost.

Buy products that you can reuse. Get glass containers instead of flimsy plastic ones, for example.

Avoid products with several layers of packaging when only one is sufficient. About 33% of what we throw away is packaging.

Use reusable plates and utensils instead of disposable ones, and use reusable containers to store food instead of aluminum foil and cling wrap.

Buy rechargeable batteries for devices used frequently.

Copy and print on both sides of paper, reuse items like envelopes, folders, and paper clips, use e-mail or texting as a substitute for paper correspondence, and use recycled paper.

Mend clothes instead of buying new ones.

Buy used furniture. There is a surplus of it, and it is much cheaper than new furniture.

Say no to plastic straws when eating out.

Get reusable grocery bags!

Composting & Reducing Food Waste

It takes a lot of water to produce our cereal, fruit, and other food. More than half food and drink households throw away every year could be eaten. Organic household waste can be converted through the action of microorganisms that cause decomposition, into a substance called compost. This natural fertilizer improves the soil, increases the soil’s ability to retain water, protects against erosion, and reduces the need for chemical fertilizers.

Check use-by dates so you don’t suddenly have to throw stuff out. Use leftovers to create new meals. This will help you waste less food and save money!

Start a compost pile! Choose an outdoor bin for your compost pile. Keep out of direct sunlight but insulated from the cold. Aerate every so often by turning your tumbler or using a pitchfork to distribute air and moisture. 

Collect food scraps in your kitchen. Choose an indoor container with a lid to keep compostable items in. Examples include fruits and vegetables, coffee grounds, and tea bags.

Compost nonrecyclable paper and cardboard. You can reduce the volume of your trash by 80% by sorting your packaging and composting all waste that is suitable. Yard trimmings, food residue, and other compostable items account for about a quarter of our annual waste.

Grow your own food. Harvesting what you need when you need it results in less food wasted and can be a fun family activity!

Happy Earth Day 2023!