Five ways to lessen your impact on the planet during Earth Month
Published 1:30 am Friday, April 8, 2022
By Karissa Jones / Waste Management
Earth Month is upon us. What will you do to give back to Mother Nature and lessen your impact on the planet?
Not sure where to start on your sustainability journey? Begin by tackling these five actions, then visit wm.com/recycleright for more resources and ideas to go green.
• Make a commitment to recycle right. Follow these thee recycling rules for a greener and cleaner planet this month and beyond.
• Recycle clean bottles, cans, paper and cardboard
• Keep food and liquid out of your recycling
• No loose plastic bags or bagged recyclables
Have recycling questions? Visit wmnorthwest.com to view your local recycling guide and print a copy to pin on your refrigerator.
Reduce and reuse whenever possible. Did you know reducing and reusing are even more impactful than recycling? The best way to minimize waste is by avoiding it in the first place.
You can achieve this by opting for durable products. Bring your own reusable to-go boxes, produce bags, and carry a personal utensil set on-the-go. Think critically about the items you the throw away and consider if there’s a creative way to get value from them. For example, an old spaghetti sauce jar makes a great storage container for smaller items!
Throw away less food. Reducing food waste is a huge opportunity to reduce our impacts on the planet. Wasted food wastes important resources! Just think about all the energy, water and other resources that went into making and transporting it.
We can reduce food waste through meal planning, keeping an “eat soon” box in your refrigerator, and purchasing “ugly” produce at the store that may otherwise be thrown away. Visit wmnorthwest.com for more tips and resources to keep food out of the landfill.
Green up your spring cleaning. April is a perfect time to declutter and deep clean. Be friendly to the planet at the same time by properly disposing of leftover chemicals at a hazardous waste facility. Better yet, grab a reusable bottle and make your own green cleaner.
Once you’ve cleaned out the closet and decided what you no longer need, donate your old items or give them away on a community group like Buy Nothing.
Reconsider transportation options. Before hopping in the car to visit a friend, consider alternative ways to get there. Are there others you could carpool with? Perhaps there is a bus heading in that direction. This could also be an opportunity to dust off that bike!
When you need to drive, you can reduce your impact by making car trips efficient. Think about where you need to go over the next few days or weeks, and how you can combine trips.
Here’s to a beautiful and healthy planet this Earth Month and beyond.
Karissa Jones is WM’s recycling education and outreach manager. Learn more about waste reduction at wmnorthwest.com.
