24 Ways to Celebrate Earth Day at Home

On April 22, Earth Day marks 50 years of celebration, making this day extra special and an important reminder to take care of Mother Earth. And even tiny, simple lifestyle changes can add up to huge environmental benefits, especially if we all work together to be more eco-friendly. And how can a person do that? To help you, here is a list of easy lifestyle changes to choose from and guide you to a healthier, greener world. 

Reuse Items

This includes bringing your own bags to the store (once this is allowed again) to even using your spent coffee grounds and eggs shells in the garden.

Packaging

Purchase items that don’t come in excess packaging and combine items from multiple Amazon orders into a single package.

Turn Off the Faucet

While brushing your teeth or washing your hands (for those 20 important seconds).

Laundry

Wash your laundry on the cold setting a few times a week.

Reusable Bottles

Ditch using plastic bottled water and use glass or stainless containers.

Save an Animal

Foster or adopt a pet.

Recycled Materials

Look for products that are sustainably sourced or made of recycled materials.

Dishwasher

Run your dishwasher at night.

Cloth Napkins

Use cloth napkins instead of paper ones.

Cloth Towels

Use cloth towels instead of paper ones.

Reusable Cup

Get in the habit of bringing your own reusable cup to your favorite coffee shop.

Turn Off Lights

When not in a room.

Lower Gas Consumption

Choose to walk places or use a bike instead of a car.

Farmers’ Market

If you can’t grow it yourself, shop local farmer’s markets.

Lightbulb

Chose energy-efficient light bulbs.

For the Birds

Set up bird and hummingbird feeders.

Pesticides

Never use toxic weed killers like Roundup or use nasty pesticides. Instead, make your own garden remedies.

Banking

Switch to electronic banking and credit card statements and pay bills online.

Batteries

Choose rechargeable batteries.

Gardening

Grow your own Victory Garden.

Love Your Local Pollinators

Plant more natives, low water succulents and pollinator friendly plants.

Go Organic

Purchase organic produce.

Plants

Become a plant-parent and add more houseplants.

For the Garden

Install an automatic irrigation system for your garden. Remove a portion or all of your water-guzzling lawn.

Kier Holmes is a local garden designer, contributing writer to Martha Stewart, Gardenista and Better Homes and Gardens, plus is a garden and science educator. Follow her on Instagram.