With April 22nd, 2008, marking the 38th anniversary of Earth Day, it seemed only natural to compile a list of 8 easy, eco-friendly, Earth Day ideas anyone can incorporate into their homes or bed & breakfast inns. Since even the smallest changes in lifestyle can translate into big improvements for our planet, I urge everyone to implement at least 1, earth-friendly idea into their home or inn for the coming year. Just think…if everyone would add at least 1 additional change year after year after year, it wouldn’t take long to see big differences in the world we share!
How you can participate: Because I’d love to see this list of 8 grow into a list of 38 (in honor of Earth Day’s 38th anniversary,) if you have any easy, eco-friendly, Earth Day ideas you’d like to share, I invite you to list them in the comment section of this post. Spread the word, tell a friend, send a link! When and if the list (and I hope it does) hits 38, I’ll publish all our Earth Day ideas in one complete post for easy reference. (When commenting, be sure to include the name of the state or country in which you reside, and I’ll include it in the final list of ideas.)
8 Easy, Eco-Friendly, Earth Day Ideas For Your Home or Inn
- Say No To Plastic Bags – Make an effort to stop using plastic bags supplied at shopping centers and grocery stores. If available, request paper bags and recycle. Better yet, bring your own re-usable totes and transport purchases in eco-friendly style. Bonus – If your shopping tote is made from all-natural materials (think 100% hemp or cotton) or produced from recycled goods, give yourself extra points. Tip – If you must use the plastic shopping bags offered at groceries or other retailers, at least make them pull double duty by re-using them as trash-bins liners or to store other household goods.
- Recycled Paper, A Tale Of Before & After - Buy and use recycled paper whenever possible, and remember to recycle when you’re done! Whether in your home or office, paper use and waste adds up over the course of a year. Next time you’re buying, remember to look for the recycled label–and don’t forget to take it to a nearby paper recycling center when you’re done. Many communities now have recycling centers nearby, or at least recycling drop-off bins (great for your junk mail, old newspapers, magazines and sometimes corrugated cardboard boxes as well!)
- Reduce Even More Paper Waste - Consider removing your name (or your inn’s name for that matter) from mailing lists and credit card offers. To do even more, try switching your recurring, monthly snail-mail bills to online bill pay. The amount of paper you’ll save is mind boggling and reduces trips to the recycling center.
- Plan, Consolidate & Carpool – Make shopping lists ahead of time and plan your trips to the store. Planning a week’s worth of meals before heading to the grocery will help cut down on waste and spoilage in your refrigerator and ensure you get the most from each meal. Also, try to combine trips to the grocery with visits to other retailers as well. Errand consolidation will help reduce the amount of time you’re needlessly running your vehicle. Tip – If possible, plan trips to the grocery and other errand running with friends or neighbors so you can carpool, saving the environment (and your pocketbook) even more!
- Remember To Refill - Instead of buying new dispensers or containers every time you run out of household cleaners, detergents, soaps or shampoos, consider rinsing out your empties and refilling from bulk containers. Over the course of a year, refilling the same bottle multiple times (even though it means purchasing another larger container) will help reduce plastic waste more than you’d think.
- Unplug The Plug - This simple step may seem a bit odd at first, and is perhaps more plausible in your home versus a bed & breakfast inn, but consider unplugging your plugs when not in use. Many modern appliances (think microwave ovens, TV’s, DVD players, coffee makers, etc.) continue to use energy even when they are in stand-by mode. (Don’t believe me? What’s powering that (perhaps flashing) digital clock or little green light?) The simple step of unplugging your appliances when not in use, or at least overnight, may save up to 5-10% on your energy bill. Multiply that times thousands (or millions) of households and you begin to see the potential energy savings. If plugging and unplugging is too much of a hassle for you, at least unplug before leaving for weekend trips or extended vacations. Every little bit helps.
- Go With The (Low) Flow - If you haven’t done so already, consider installing low-flow shower heads. Most of the time you won’t be able to tell the difference, and the amount of water you’ll conserve (as well as energy you’ll save from not having to heat excess water) is enough to make you sing in the shower! Oh, and the next time you have to replace a toilet, go low flow there as well.
- Get In Touch With Your Inner Child & Break Out The Bicycle - Perfect for inn owners! Whether your inn is the country mouse or the city mouse, make sure bicycles are available for all your guests. You’d be surprised how many people are willing to bike around town to see the sites, or even down a dusty road to get in touch with nature. Less confining than a car, riding bicycles (if only in your leisure time) not only saves the environment, but your wallet as well and helps keep your body in shape. So break out the bikes a little more often. It’s a win, win, win experience and something enjoyable for the entire family!
Got other ideas? Don’t forget to add them by clicking on the comments link at the lower right-hand corner of this post.
Up next… Touring a delightful North Carolina inn–Voted as 1 of the 5 Best Inns of the South and 1 of the Top 10 Eco-Friendly Inns–and exploring a few of the innkeeper’s favorite, eco-friendly recipes. Stay tuned!
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{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Sandie, this list is a great starting point. I’ll add: don’t run the water while you’re brushing your teeth; use a soaking tub to clean dishes; try to buy food that comes in the least amount of packaging — or in no packaging at all. (Individual portions might be convenient, but they are often overpackaged.) And use online directories instead of printed telephone books.
Lydia – Fantastic ideas, thank you! That gets us up to 12… only 26 ideas left to go!
Good list! I try to adhere to everything on your list, but the carpooling is difficult. I work so far away and have no one to share a ride with.