10 Everyday Ways to Help Mother Earth

Hang dry your clothes. Dryers are in my opinion one of the bigger items in our homes that contribute to our carbon footprint. They use a lot of electricity to work, produce waste through dryer sheets and the lint trap and they reduce the life span of our clothes. Hanging clothes to dry when possible cuts all of that down. Living in Canada I am lucky enough that I can hang my clothes on a line outside on a nice day and on the cold winter days I am able to hang my clothes inside on a cheap drying rack. The only thing I really use my dryer for is sheets and blankets in the winter. Instead of using dryer sheets I use wool dryer balls. They last for around 500 cycles and you can add a few drops of essential oil to them for a lovely scent.

Use what you have. Stop buying things for the sake of buying things. You do not need that 4th coffee mug when you barely even use the first three. Our society trains us to feel better when we have new things. Wear your clothes until they’re falling apart, then turn them into rags.

Up cycle. Those shirts you just cut up into rags, that’s upcycling! Need a quick flower pot? Grab a tin can out of your recycling. My sister shares her empty glass bonbon jars with me to use for candles. I use all my scrap fabric from projects to make small items like a new pincushion.

Borrow, Swap and buy used when possible. Buying new things is expensive. And what if you only need something for a day or two? Now you’ve gone and bought this new thing and all of its new packaging and it’s going to sit and collect dust until you use it again maybe in a year or two. STOP! Ask your friends and family if they have one you can borrow first. Oh they don’t want their drill anymore? Great trade it for that 2nd magic bullet you have that you were going to throw away. No one you know has the right saw you need for this project? Before going to a department store check online sites like Facebook Marketplace and Kijiji. Go to your local yard sales and second hand shops. Borrowing, swapping and buying second hand keeps good working items out of landfills and works towards ending mass production of items we don’t always need to upgrade.

Grow vegetables, herbs and flowers. Not only will you be aiding your local bee community by supplying them with more pollen, but you'll save $$ during harvest season. You can choose what to grow depending on your likes and growing area. I live in zone 6a. I start most of my seeds indoors before last frost then transfer them to flower beds in the spring. During the summer months I never have to buy tomatoes, green peppers and green beans. Then come fall I can harvest squash, zucchini, carrots and anything else I have left. Herbs are a great indoor window-sil plant if you live in an apartment and fresh cut flowers from your own garden always smell better then store bought. Whether you have your own backyard, a balcony or a community garden, this is one of my favorite ways to save your wallet and the planet.

Use a rain barrel for outdoors and dehumidifier water for indoors. One of my favorite ways to water my plants and give them nutrients is pasta water! Instead of dumping it down the drain I pour it into another pot, wait for it to cool then feed my plant babies. The starch in the water gives them lots of extra nutrients. Rain barrels and Dehumidifier water works just as well for watering our plants. I highly recommend both these methods if you live somewhere with hard water and\or if you soften that water as water softener will kill your plants.

Reusable menstrual products. If you are a menstruater this will save you big long term money. I made this switch years ago and my body, soul, and wallet have greatly appreciated it. Single use menstrual products were one of if not the biggest source of waste in my life. There are so many great options for reusable menstrual products now too. From Menstrual cups to fabric pads and menstrual underwear. It may look like a bigger cost upfront but these products can last for years if you take care of them right.

Ditching single use plastic: If you live in Canada like me you know we have a single use plastic ban but does that really ban all single use plastic? Not at all. Straws, Bags, cups, cling wrap, razors etc. I mean, we’ve been talking about it for years now. There is no reason we should still be using these products. Get a good travel mug or tumbler, make your own coffee at home and bring your tote bags to the grocery store. Buy a hydro flask. Look for stainless steel options before plastic where possible.

Eat more vegetables and/or locally raised meat. When you can't grow or raise your own buying from your local farmers or butcher not only helps to financially support your community but also reduces your food carbon footprint. The vegetables and meat are not traveling 100’s of kilometers to get to your door and usually the animals have been raised more humanely and fed more natural foods. Support your local farmers market!

Clean up your neighborhood. I live in the country and the ditches are always full of litter. Take a bag and a glove with you when you go for your evening walk. Picking up the litter year round and not just on earth day helps to insure garbage stays out of our local habitats. Animals don't know the difference between unnatural garbage and the things in nature they would usually use to create their homes and to feed their babies.

Every little change we make in our day to day lives is one little step closer to world where mother nature is held in higher regard then capitalism. Where Protests against oil companies no longer exist and we can all go outside without the fear of breathing smog and becoming ill.