16 ways to reduce plastic waste
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7/29/15 It can take up to 1,000 years for plastic to degrade. Here are 16 great ways to dramatically decrease the amount of plastic trash you make.
INDIVIDUALS
Sometimes, like voting, you might wonder how what you do matters. But, like voting, if everyone did what they could, the world’s outcome could be changed. And, curiously it doesn’t even have to be difficult. Turning out lights, eating less meat, conserving water — all simple and take neither time nor money.
This page is packed with things to do whatever your resources, whether you have five minutes or 5 hours a week, whether you have the ability to reduce plastics in your world, add solar to your home, or organize to create an climate change advisory board in your town.
You might take a peek at the NYT New Year Resolutions. And, if you could do with a bit of hope, try this…
18 THINGS YOU CAN DO TODAY TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE
TELL YOUR
LAWMAKERS
The worst impacts can still be
avoided if we compel local and
national leaders to step up and lead
the fight against climate change.
Call on your officials today.
More here:
NRDC
CANCEL
JUNK MAIL
Quitting junk mail is one way to curtail the flow of trash in and out of your home.
More here:
The Washington Post
TIME TO BUY AN
ELECTRIC CAR
In addition to lowering your carbon footprint, electric vehicles are more affordable to run, have lower maintenance costs, and tax incentives can reduce the purchase price.
More here:
My EV
STOP EATING
RED MEAT
Keeping everything else (chicken, dairy, pork) we could achieve between 46 and 74 percent of the reductions needed to meet the 2020 greenhouse gas emission goals. Yikes. We can do that!
More here:
Climate Crocks
WEATHERIZE
YOUR HOUSE
Start by closing up the cracks around windows and doors.
More here:
The Washington Post
CONSERVE
WATER
The average American
uses 2,000 gallons per day
and only one percent of
the world’s water
supply is freshwater.
More here:
Water Conservation
COMPOST
Enhance the soil,
protect the climate,
and reduce waste.
More here:
The Institute for Local Self-Reliance
NO MORE
PLASTIC WATER BOTTLES!
Every day
66 million bottles
end up in landfills,
or, more likely,
as land or ocean litter.
More here:
Rainforest Alliance
BRING A
BAG
Be a zero waste shopper
More here:
Mother Nature Network
RIDE A
BIKE
A bicycle doesn’t burn gasoline,
creates less fossil fuel
pollution, and is
more cost efficient.
More here:
Mother Nature Network
TURN DOWN THE
HEAT
Every degree
reduces your energy
use by 3-5%. Add a
sweater, a blanket or a
nice cup of hot chocolate.
More here:
ECOSYSTEMS
SAVE BY USING
LEDS
Switch out your light bulbs,
and reduce your electricity
by more than 80%.
More here:
The New York Times
TEN WAYS YOUR HOUSE CAN REDUCE
CLIMATE CHANGE
From getting an energy
audit to setting your
water heater at 120 degrees
to installing a programmable
thermostat, here are simple
cost saving solutions.
More here:
Huffington Post
WASH IN
COLD
Washing your clothes
in cold water uses
15X less energy than
hot and gets clothes
just as clean.
More here:
Climate Change Connection
The New York Times
INSTALL
SOLAR
A typical two-person
household reduces their
carbon emissions by
three to four tons annually
with a solar power system.
More here:
Solar energy world
REDUCE, REUSE AND RECYCLE
What you can
do at school, at home,
at work, and in
the community.
More here:
EPA
TURN ON THE
FANS
The average air
conditioning unit in
American homes releases
about two tons of
carbon dioxide each year.
More here:
The Takeaway
New York Public Radio
PICK A
CAUSE
Understanding and adapting
to climate change is
a massive, interdisciplinary
undertaking and the sites listed
here have lots of information
from every possible angle.
More here:
environmentalsciencedegree
KEY RESOURCES
50 simple ways to make your life greener
Expert tips on how to be kinder to the planet – from cooking and cleaning to fashion and finance.
50 Ways to Help the Planet – Save Our Environment and Planet Earth
Saving the planet sounds huge doesn’t it? And in essence, it is. But there are many simple ways you can do your bit to help. Check out this list of fifty easy ways to go…
MORE WAYS TO TAKE ACTION
America’s Light Bulb Revolution
By Nadja Popovich Photo: Department of Energy 3/8/19 Publisher:
Solar panels and wind turbines get a lot of attention, but a more inconspicuous instrument is helping to reshape America’s energy economy right now: The humble light bulb. Over the past decade, traditional incandescent bulbs,…
Be mindful when you travel
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It’s not easy being green, especially when you’re on vacation. Don’t forget your reusable bottles, bags and raincoats
Build a zero energy home & power a zero energy car
Publisher:
10/21/19 How many solar panels does it take to power an electric car?
Buy Boxed Water
Publisher:
And, if you give them your email address, they will plant two trees in your name!
Calculate, reduce, and offset your carbon footprint
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The average American’s total carbon footprint is a whopping 50,000 pounds a year. Supporting Carbon Fund’s projects can help offset your footprint.
Check if your state offers Community Choice Aggregation
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Community Choice Aggregation Utilities provides all its electricity from clean renewable energy, up to 100% from wind and solar and geothermal power. The price is virtually the same.
Commit to going plastic-free for one month
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Join the “choose to refuse” campaign, a global movement spanning 150 countries. Sign up at Plastic Free July for tips, action ideas, and more resources.
DIY renewable energy projects
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Free ideas, plans, and information to help you build renewable energy and conservation projects. Try solar cooking and food drying, a water wheel for electricity generation, or build a solar greenhouse.
Eat less beef or ruminants, don’t overeat and don’t waste food
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4/30/19 …is what Diego Rose, a professor of nutrition at Tulane University, advises. 1/5 of Americans eat too much beef and diary. Americans throw out 1/5 of all the food that they buy.
Eat Ugly Fruit
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Most ugly, misshapen produce doesn’t sell and is thrown away. If food waste were a country, it’d be the world’s third largest carbon polluter!
Electrify your home
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Power your own home by putting solar panels on your roof, and batteries in your garages.
ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE FUND
Publisher:
Write your politicians here The EDF provides a list of forms on a range of climate issues and will get your message where it needs to go.
ETSY
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Wear your support! Find here a large collection of buttons, tees, and totes supporting earth and sustainability by local designers and artists.
Fertilizing a garden entirely for free
By Kara Stiff 2/25/20
At our house we have a goal to produce 80% of our fruit, veggies, meat and dairy within five years of moving onto our land. We only eat a little meat and dairy, but we…
Fix your thermostat habits
Publisher:
Look over these helpful do’s and don’ts to make sure you’re not wasting money and energy on heating and cooling.
Fly less, but if you must, buy carbon offsets
Publisher:
Take one round-trip flight between New York and California, and you’ve generated about 20 percent of the greenhouse gases that your car emits over an entire year. If you do fly, you can buy offsets…
Get a home energy audit
Publisher:
Insulate, air seal, and replace anything worn. An audit will help find more ways to improve efficiency, and save money. Here’s another list of tips for setting your thermostat.
Get aboard the scooter revolution
Publisher:
8/6/18 Scooter-sharing services such as Lime, Spin and Bird are popping up in cities as electric scooters become an increasingly popular choice for urban transportation.
Help save vital methane regulations that protect our health and climate
Publisher:
Submit an official comment urging the EPA to stop Trump from gutting the landmark Clean Power Plan, which would reduce carbon pollution from power plants by 32 percent if left in place.
Hope equals Action
Publisher:
10/9/18 Americans who remain hopeful are consistently more likely than those with less hope to say they will act on global warming, including contacting a government official, donating and volunteering, and joining a campaign to…
Host a movie screening
Publisher:
Organize a lunchtime screening at work, or have a movie night at a community hall. Here’s a list of documentaries that address single-use plastic pollution.
How to Fight the Climate Crisis at Home: Small Tips for Making Big Change
By Sophie Hirsh 8/1/19
This article is not just about finding little ways to reduce your impact — rather, it’s about ways to stop climate change from your home.
How to stop your house’s expensive drafts — and save the planet
By Sarah Kaplan Photo by Michael Parkin 1/28/21
As a reporter covering climate solutions, I receive one query more than any other: “What’s the best thing for me to do to protect the planet?” The annoyingly squishy answer is: It depends. Politicians can…
Install a geothermal heat pump system
Publisher:
A small-scale geothermal heat pump system—often installed to serve a single household—consists of a network of heat-transferring pipes buried four to six feet underground and connecting to an electric-powered pump which concentrates and distributes the…
Keep microfibers out of waterways
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8/8/18 If 10% of U.S. households used a Cora Ball in their laundry, more than 30 million water bottles worth of plastic could be kept out of waterways. Buy It Here
Pass on Uber and Lyft
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Ride-hailing companies add options for people without a car, but they also drive up traffic and congestion. Choose transit or, better yet, bicycling.
Plant a tree
Publisher:
Restoring forests could help put a brake on global warming. Get recommendations from the Tree Wizards and figure out which tree to plant.
Protect our ocean coral reefs
Publisher:
Here’s a few things we can do to improve the condition of our ocean reefs: reduce the use of lawn and garden chemicals (and do not dump any chemicals in storm drains), choose sustainable seafood,…
Reduce your food waste
Publisher:
12/12/18 When we waste food, we are also throwing away the resources that went into producing, processing, packaging and transporting that food.
Refill your water pitchers and bottles
Publisher:
9/29/18 If tap water isn’t your thing, avoid buying cases of one-time-use plastic bottles. Try a home water cooler and have the bottles delivered, or save money by getting them refilled. A water pitcher with…
Register Yourself and Others to Vote
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More people participating in democracy makes for a stronger country and builds greater accountability with our elected officials.
Reject fast fashion and buy secondhand
1/2/18 Publisher:
1/2/18 Textile production is one of the most polluting industries, producing 1.2 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent (CO2e) per year, which is more emissions than international flights and maritime shipping.
Replace gas with electric at home
Publisher:
10/9/18 Instead of gas heaters at home, use electric heat pumps for air and water heating, and air conditioning. And, an induction cooktop stove boils water in half the time of a gas stove!
Say no to all single-use plastic
Publisher:
2/20/18 Overflowing landfills and waters mean that grocery bags and takeout containers aren’t enough, it’s time to phase out all single-use plastic.
Send a letter to your public officials urging them to take bold climate action
Publisher:
Call on your members of Congress, governor, and state lawmakers to take bold and urgent climate action in response to the IPCC report
Shop at Your Local Farmers’ Market
8/4/18 Publisher:
8/4/18 Buying and eating locally lowers food miles, and supports the environment and farmers. Don’t forget to bring your own bag!
Shop ethically and sustainably
Publisher:
Support companies that do good for people, animals, and the planet. Done Good intentionally selects purpose-driven brands who care about where their items are sourced, and how it impacts their customers, workers, and the world…
Sign, join, act, donate
Publisher:
Find a list of ways to take action, or volunteer with this group advocating for aggressive climate change policies.
Speak out in defense of the landmark Clean Power Plan
Publisher:
Submit an official comment urging the EPA to stop Trump from gutting the landmark Clean Power Plan, which would reduce carbon pollution from power plants by 32 percent if left in place.
STAR ratings matter when buying your appliances
Publisher:
9/6/18 The label outlines the product’s energy star rating and gives you information about which product is better for the environment and how much money you could potentially save.
Swap your plane ride for a bus or train
Publisher:
7/3/18 A roundtrip transatlantic flight can emit more than a metric ton of carbon dioxide per person into the atmosphere, and if a person flies a lot, these emissions form the bulk of their carbon…
Take a 30-day challenge
Publisher:
Research shows it takes 30 days to change a habit. Try one of the four in this list to save energy and money.
Take a stand for lifesaving clean car standards
Publisher:
Send an official comment to the EPA, urging the agency to reject Trump’s proposal to roll back lifesaving clean car standards, critical safeguards which would reduce billions of tons of carbon pollution from the atmosphere…
Try a Harley in 2019
Publisher:
The transport sector accounts for 23% of gas emissions, and businesses own over half of all vehicles on the road. Lead the shift to electric. How about a scooter, an electric bike, a motorcycle. Harley…
Turning $500 into $5000 — ethically
By Christopher Walsh Photo by Markus Spiske 12/15/20
Ethical investing is not boring. Conversely, it’s fast becoming a popular way to achieve market-beating returns as new and innovative companies launch products and services that make the world a better place.
Use smart power strips
12/14/18 Publisher:
12/14/18 Unplug idle electronics, purchase energy efficient appliances, use a smart thermostat and insulate your water heater.
Volunteer. Five minutes. Make a phone call.
Publisher:
Voters concerned about climate change need to be heard on election day.
Wear your support!
Publisher:
Find here a large collection of buttons, tees, and totes supporting earth and sustainability by local designers and artists.
Why Planting a Bee Garden Is Good for Pollinators, Good for the Planet, and Good for You!
By Ingrid Koivukangas Photo by Ingrid Koivukangas 1/18/20
As the climate of the Earth changes, bees and pollinators are under increasing threats from urbanization and development, heavy chemical and neonicotinoid pesticide use, and shifting weather patterns that create increased temperatures, droughts, fires, floods…
Write your congressman to keep our ocean and waterways healthy
Publisher:
Visit Ocean Conservatory for information and forms to contact senators and congressmen on issues like ocean acidification, smart ocean planning, and restoring the Gulf of Mexico.
