Tomorrow is Earth Day and the theme this year is Ending Plastic Pollution.  while I love the idea of celebrating, what I love even more is making every day Earth Day.  We all should try to develop new habits that are kind to the planet.  So here are 10 simple ideas that can be done almost every day!

Use a refillable water bottle

The mantra is reduce, reuse and recycle.  Just because you're recycling, doesn't make plastic water bottles any better.  It takes over 1.5 million barrels of oil to manufacture all of those bottles each year and still over two million tons of water bottles end up in the landfills.  Aside from that, plastic bottles have chemical additives that are hormone disruptors and have estrogenic effects on our bodies.  These have been linked to reproductive disorders, cancer, infertility and early menopause.  Even the BPA free bottles aren't safe.  No plastic bottles are because we don't know what chemicals are in the plastic.  The hormone disrupting chemicals leach from all plastics.  It's better to use stainless steel or glass water bottles.

Buy Reusable Shopping Bags

Statistics show that Americans use 100 billion plastic bags a year and the production of those bags requires about 12 million barrels of oil.  If we want to stop being so dependent on oil, it seems that not using plastic bags is a good start.  They take up space in landfills and cause problems for marine wildlife.  Did you know that Target gives away enough plastic bags every year to wrap around the earth 7 times...how frightening!  Also, statistics show that only 1 percent of plastic bags are recycled and that 100,000 marine animals are killed by plastic bags.  Buy some fabulous resuable bags and you'll be stylish and eco friendly.  After all, plastics bags don't make much of a fashion statement!

Get Your Produce From a Local Farmer's Market

Buying from a local farmer's market supports local families and helps the earth at the same time.  Food in the grocery stores travels on average, 1500 miles to get to you.  The shipping causes pollution and increases fossil fuel consumption and carbon emissions.  Local food travels much shorter distances and is fresher and therefore better for you.  Local food also preserves genetic diversity.  Modern agricultural systems choose plant varieties because of their ability to ripen at the same time and withstand the harvesting equipment so there is not much diversity in the plants that are grown.  Local farmers grow a much larger variety of plants that not only are more beautiful, but they have much more flavor and for the most part are not genetically modified.  It's so important to support local farmers because you are helping to ensure that the farms stay in your community and that future generations will have access to healthy and abundant food.

Unsubscribe to Catalogs

Over 100 million trees are cut down each year to produce junk mail and this includes catalogs.  Most catalogs end up in the trash or recycling bin anyway.  In just 5 days, we produce enough junk mail to reach the moon and junk mail produces 1 billion pounds of paper going into landfills.  You can sign up for the free opt-out service at catalogchoice.org and have your name taken off the mailing lists for all of that unwanted mail.

Speak Up

If you're passionate about the environment, write an email to your local representative and share your thoughts.  You can go to this website to find contact information for your local representatives.  You can also start or sign a petition for something you'd like to see changed.  You can go to Change.org or Earthday.org to start the process.  The more informed people are, the greater the chances that things will change.

Spend Time Outside

There is no better way to appreciate the earth than to go outside and experience the wonder of it!.  Go outside, absorb some Vitamin D and nourish your soul!  Earth Day is a reminder that our planet is beautiful and an awesome place to be, so take advantage of it!  Throw an Earth Day Party, Pack a picnic, go for a walk or just sit outside in a local park and enjoy the beauty of nature.

Compost

Composting is easier than you think and so many things can be composted.  Americans generate about 201 million tons of trash each year.  Most of it goes into landfills.  Composting can cut back on the amount of waste that goes into landfills and can actually benefit the environment as a natural fertilizer for gardening and farming.  Even if you don't have a garden, you can still compost by keeping a compost collector in your kitchen and donate your compost to a local farm or use it in your potted plants.  We have woods next to our house and I put my compost in the woods.  

Have a Home Energy Audit

An auditing company can tell you exactly what steps you need to take in order to tighten up your energy efficiency,  Things such as sealing windows and unplugging appliances and phone chargers can make a difference

Plant a Tree

This might sound like the ultimate cliche, but it's one of the most important gifts we can give to the planet.  Global warming is caused by a buildup of greenhouse gasses in our atmosphere, which trap heat on the planet.  Trees have the ability to suck up carbon dioxide, which is why forests are so important.  If every person on the planet plants one tree, that amounts to nearly 7 billion new carbon sponges.

Volunteer

Get a group together or join one that is already organized to pick up trash, clean up a local park or volunteer to read books about the earth to educate school children about how to take care of the planet!

Choose to Eat Vegetarian One Day A Week

If you're not already vegan or vegetarian, cutting out meat just one day a week can have an impact on the health of the planet.  The beef industry and the pesticides used in it are major contributors to greenhouse gas emissions.  Try eating a delicious vegetarian meal every Monday...you probably won't even miss the meat and might decide to do it more often than once a week!  One of my favorite vegetarian cookbooks is A Year In A Vegetarian Kitchen by Jack Bishop.

This Hummus and Greens Veggie Bowl is on of my favorite easy vegetarian meals.

Build Community

Life is worth celebrating!  Just the fact that we are here on this planet is a miracle.  Why not use earth day to celebrate by spending time with other like minded people in your community.  Have a picnic using biodegradable plates and silverware, cook some wholesome food from the local farmers market and spend time quality time having fun!  Being part of a community is an important aspect of eco-conscious living.

Every day on Crazy Blonde Life, it is my goal to nurture and empower everyone that reads my posts to live their best lives!  I think that taking care of the environment is part of living a life of passion and purpose!  I hope you've found this helpful and interesting.

What will you do to celebrate Earth Day and do have ideas to add to this list?