5 Ways to Celebrate Earth Day

If you’re still buying plastic water bottles, driving a gas guzzler vehicle and/or leaving the lights on or the water running, you are not putting the planet first. Stop living in the past…

It is time for accountability — in social, political and environmental justice.

As a steward of our beloved planet Earth, I will admit I haven’t always made the best choices.

I went from driving an electric-hybrid vehicle around Colorado’s Front Range to road tripping with an SUV (with a teardrop trailer in tow) across the country. I used to buy tampons with the plastic applicators and (cringe!) would ultimately flush them down the toilet. My consumption has waxed and waned over the years but since I live in the US, it still proves to be excessive.

Still, I’ve consistently made better choices during my limited time on this Earth and good news is I’m here to share some of those choices with you. Not everything needs to be convenient or easy (many things are!) and a little effort and a few small changes inevitably make an impact.

Here are my top 5 actions you can do today (and everyday) to celebrate the Earth:

5) Use your resources!

My 2020 mantra! I have been amazed at much I could still use around the house and its so refreshing that I’m still using up my stock today. Our westernized culture has become rather careless and wasteful. Take stock of what you can still use before buying something new.

Quick Tip: Resell your clothes at your local consignment stores. ThredUP or TheRealReal are also great online resources. If you can’t resell your items, find them a new home with a clothing swap or donate!

4) Go Green!

Take a walk to your neighborhood’s little free library and donate a book or two. Ride a bike down the beach or local creek path and marvel at the beauty that surrounds you. Utilize our public transit system so that we can get more cars off the road and support the local transit.

Quick Tip: Don’t drive when you don’t have to! Enjoy a walk to the corner store or ride your bike to meet a friend. Carpool if and when possible. Review your habits and make a change!

3) Compost.

Boulder & San Francisco each have their own compostable infrastructure in place so there is absolutely no reason why residents of these progressive cities shouldn’t compost. I understand not every community has this option so if you live in a more remote area, create your own!

Quick Tip: Bring compostable bags with you to the grocery store. Whole Foods in SF actually has these bags available to use with your produce purchases, free of charge! Stock up on your produce and reuse them when you are ready to compost your food scraps at home.

2) Buy better.

This action is 3-prong because I have a few superb product recs to share with you.

2a) Dropps — plant-based laundry pods and dryer balls that are dye-free, animal-cruelty free and shipped in compostable packaging. My friend and fellow planet advocate, Dia, initially introduced me to these sustainable pods and I was so impressed by the products that I decided to become an affiliate as well. Click this link and use code denelle for 25% off your purchase. 

2b) Reel — 100% Tree-Free Bamboo Toilet Paper & Paper Towels. No need to hoard toilet paper anymore with this sustainable subscription option. Use this link and enjoy 20% OFF a new subscription with code AFFILIATE20. Also, new rule: please stop using Charmin; save the trees because your ass really doesn’t need that much cushion.

2c) Compostable Coffee Pods – my cousin Adam introduced me to San Francisco Bay Coffee Company’s compostable coffee pods (k-cups) upon my arrival to the city by the bay. I realize I might get some slack for this suggestion but the coffee is great and the pods are compostable! What could possibly be better? Read the FAQ.

1) Go Local.

When and where you can, #golocal! Stop treating Amazon like the almighty behemoth it has become. Throw them some shade for once and take your butt to the farmer’s market, support your craft coffee shop barista and peruse the aisles of a local artisan boutique.

Quick Tip: Shop for produce from nearby farms and support local brands with sustainable packaging! A good rule of thumb? Choose glass over aluminum and aluminum over plastic!

Ok team, there you have it! Hopefully these options inspire you to create sustainable change over time both for your benefit and for the benefit of our sacred planet.

Thanks for reading and happy celebrating!

Your fellow Earth angel,

Denelle