30 Ways to Celebrate Earth Day Every Day

Every April 22, millions of people in nearly 200 countries celebrate Earth Day, and I’m one of them. Originating in 1970, Earth Day is an opportunity for all of us to reflect on how we can make our Earth a better place. It’s a time to be mindful of your impact on the Earth and challenge yourself to adopt new, environmentally friendly habits that conserve resources, save money, and encourage healthy living all-around. In fact, with wonderful benefits like those, doesn’t it make sense to live every day like it’s Earth Day?

Well, you can. Over the years, my family and I have used Earth Day as a starting point to implement new and creative changes in our lives. Here are 30 ways we celebrate Earth Day that you and your family can try, too. Some of them may seem small, but small changes add up and if you sustain that change for the rest of your life, it will profoundly lighten your environmental footprint and help make the Earth a better, cleaner place to live.

In Your Home

1. Use Essential Oils

Many candles, scented plugins, and room sprays contain toxic, synthetic fragrances. Instead of those, add pure or mixed essential oils to a diffuser or humidifier to spread a pleasant aroma throughout your home. Many essential oils boast health benefits or have calming effects on mood.^[1]

2. Declutter Your Home

Spring is a great time to conduct a thorough home cleaning and discard, recycle, or donate all the unused items that are only taking up space. Make a conscious decision to keep the items that bring you joy and let go of the ones that don’t. Additionally, designate a spot in your home for every item you keep. Having a place for every item and returning it after use reduces clutter and will ensure you’re always able to find what you want, when you want it.

3. Use Lavender in Your Laundry

Many types of dryer sheets contain synthetic chemicals and fragrances. Ditch those and add about 20 drops of lavender essential oil to a damp washcloth or a few wool dryer balls and throw them in the dryer with your wet clothes. It’ll give your clothes a pleasant, natural scent that will even be noticeable throughout your home.

4. Adopt a Tree

Trees provide us with so many benefits! A single tree can absorb up to 48 pounds of carbon dioxide every year.^[2] If you live in an apartment or townhouse, get a small, indoor-friendly ficus. Yucca, kaffir lime, Madagascar dragon, or bonsai are other small trees that thrive indoors. Keep in mind that if you have pets it’s best to double check that the tree you select isn’t toxic to them.

5. Plant Flowers

Native flowers look beautiful and they provide pollen and nectar for pollinators like bees and hummingbirds.^[3] Even better, locally-sourced flowers are typically low maintenance because they’re accustomed to your climate.

6. Use Natural Pest Control

Reduce your reliance on synthetic pest control methods like toxic powders and sprays. Encourage local insect-eating animals to visit the area around your home by installing a birdhouse or, if you dare, a bat house. You can also create a welcoming environment for predatory insects like praying mantises and ladybugs to help control pests. If you have slugs or snails, protect your precious plants with a sprinkle of diatomaceous earth.^[4]

Saving Energy

7. Change Your Air Filter

There are many different types of air filters available. Opt for ones that are washable or made from eco-friendly materials. Reusable filters reduce waste and they’re more economical over the long run. Even better, clean filters improve the efficiency of air conditioners and can reduce energy costs.^[5]

8. Seal the Door

A little air flow is a good thing but too much can work against your home’s heating and cooling efforts. Install a draft stopper on your door and seal up major cracks or leaks where you can. It’ll help you save on heating and cooling costs and keep pests out of your house.^[6]

9. Take Cooler, Shorter Showers

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, the water heater accounts for about 17 percent of the average American’s monthly energy bill.^[7] In other words, it requires a lot of energy to heat water for a shower or bath. Taking a cooler, shorter shower can reduce energy use. As an added bonus, cold showers may help you feel more alert and reduce feelings of fatigue.^[8]

10. Install a Smart Thermostat

Depending on where you live, central air conditioning might account for as much as 50 percent of your energy use.^[9] To reduce waste, consider installing a smart, programmable thermostat. These devices shut off automatically when you’re away and have other built-in features that facilitate efficient heating and cooling.

11. Check Your Fridge

If you frequently find half-frozen produce or leftovers in the fridge, you’re ruining your food and wasting energy. Set your fridge to 37º F to reduce unnecessary energy use and keep your food fresh and unfrozen.^[10]

12. Lower Your Water Heater

Water heaters are often set unnecessarily high, sometimes as high as 140º F. Lowering the settings to 120º F saves energy. And, since very hot water dries out your skin, it’s better for your complexion.

13. Put on a Sweater

If the house feels a little chilly, put on a sweater, warm socks, and cozy sweatpants. Prepare some herbal tea or a homemade soup rather than turning on the heater.

14. Keep Cool, Naturally

Consuming something cold is a great way to cool down. If it’s hot out, shed some layers and drink iced water or tea. Or, blend together and freeze organic frozen fruit to make a homemade sorbet.

15. Turn on the Fan

It’s easy to reach for the air conditioner when it’s too warm but, next time, turn on a fan instead. Even the most efficient air conditioners account for a significant portion of your monthly energy expenditure. Fans use a tiny fraction of this energy.

16. Let There be Sunlight

Open up the curtains and blinds to let in more natural light whenever possible. More than just conserving energy, sunlight helps your body produce vitamin D and it strengthens your immune system.^[11] If you don't get enough sunlight, or it's during the darker winter months, consider a high-quality plant-based vitamin D supplement, like Global Healing's Vitamin D3.

17. Skip the Shower

Consider whether or not you really have to take a shower before doing so. Less frequent showers are becoming the norm once again. In fact, people used to bathe about once a week and just wash up at the sink the week leading up to their next bath. The idea of regular bathing became popular when soap salesmen convinced everyone to take daily showers.^[12]

That said, personal hygiene is essential for your health and it’s something the people closest to you appreciate, but you might be showering too often. If you haven’t performed any strenuous activities, you might get by without. Additionally, keep in mind that some types of soap disrupt your skin microbiota, so try to use natural hygiene products.^[13]

18. Use Gentle Cleaners

When cleaning your home, use eco-friendly cleaning products instead of harsh, toxic agents. Plant-based cleaning solutions are widely available; you can find them at both big box stores and natural markets. Alternatively, castile soap or a simple solution of white vinegar diluted in water is an effective cleaner you can use on many types of surfaces. You can use baking soda for many home cleaning jobs, as well. Even mold can be cleaned up with relatively simple DIY options.

19. Reuse Glass Containers

Before you recycle your glass bottles and jars, think about how you can reuse them. Large jars are great for salads and soups, small ones are the perfect size to measure portions of nuts and dressings. You can even reuse the dropper bottles from Global Healing products; just wash them out when you’re finished with the product and use them to hold or blend your favorite essential oils.

Transportation

20. Check Your Tire Pressure

Improve fuel efficiency and lower your carbon footprint by keeping your tires properly inflated. It’s also a good strategy for prolonging the life of your tires and, in turn, saving money.

21. Walk or Bike to Work

Not only is walking or biking to work great exercise, it reduces your carbon footprint. It can also be good for your mind — people that commute by car experience greater stress than people who walk, bike, and use public transportation, so it’s in your best interest to take a stroll to work.^[14] As a bonus, you’ll also get a little exercise and sunshine on your way.

22. Start a Carpool

If you have a few coworkers in your neighborhood, consider carpooling with them. You’ll help reduce CO₂ emissions, decrease traffic congestion, and you get the bonus of social interaction before and after work. Studies report that talking to friends and coworkers offers substantial health benefits.^[15]

Lifestyle

23. Eat Less Meat

If everyone cut back on meat and dairy, it would greatly help the environment. Raising livestock requires an astounding amount of resources; it contributes to deforestation, habitat loss, greenhouse gas emissions, crop contamination, and water pollution.^[16] Studies also show that the consumption of animal products harms health, contributing to many chronic and debilitating diseases.

I don’t eat meat, but if you do eat meat, challenge yourself to replace it with plant-based food more often. A diet rich in plant-based food provides the specialized nutrition to support your health and increase your lifespan. Starting a "Meatless Monday" habit is a great way to get started. Take it a step further and become flexitarian, reducetarian, pescatarian, or semi-vegetarian to reduce your reliance on animal products even more. Just make sure you get enough vitamin B-12. Global Healing's Vitamin B12 is a great option.

24. Unplug and Go Outside

Today, too many people spend too much time indoors consuming media in some form or another — usually electronic. A climate-controlled environment requires energy to maintain, as do devices. Do yourself and the planet a favor by powering down, going outside, and enjoying nature with your friends and family. You don’t have to get on a plane to have an adventure. There might be some local undiscovered spot that will become your new retreat. National parks and nature preserves are resources many people don’t take advantage of and, unfortunately, parks that don’t receive a lot of visitors are at risk of being defunded, developed, or mined of their natural resources. Plan a visit to a less popular park to help protect its funding and maintenance.

25. Support Sustainable Businesses

If you can buy it, there’s an eco-friendly version of it. Support companies that use sustainable practices, ingredients, and packaging in their products. Many businesses have started incorporating recycled or upcycled materials into their products.

26. Get a Reusable Water Bottle

Disposable, plastic water bottles may be convenient but they release toxic plasticizers and hardeners that make their way into your body and the environment. Plastic does not degrade easily, and it may take up to 1,000 years to decompose.^[17] Instead, buy a reusable water bottle made of glass and fill it with purified water every time you leave the house. It’s a habit that will reduce waste, and taking a water bottle wherever will encourage you to drink water more often and stay hydrated.

At the Office

27. Take a Plant to Work

Air purification devices are handy but wouldn’t it be great to clean the air naturally? Well, it turns out that you can literally clear the air of pollutants with certain plants. According to a NASA study, some plants help remove toxic compounds from the air. Florist’s Chrysanthemum is cited as the most broadly effective and reported to remove pollutants like benzene, formaldehyde, and ammonia; English ivy is another excellent choice.^[18] Take a small desk plant to work and breathe a sigh of relief.

28. Take a Mug to Work

Disposable cups are convenient but using them is a tremendous source of waste. Even worse, most of the disposable cups you use every day are not recyclable and contain objectionable chemicals like styrene (found in Styrofoam), which is linked to neurological effects.^{[19, 20]} Skip the disposable cups and bring your own mug to work. There are many nice options that are made with non-toxic materials.

29. Pack Your Lunch

In the United States, over 30 percent of food is thrown away at the consumer level.^[21] That is a massive amount of waste and the majority of it ends up in landfills where it contributes to the production of greenhouse gasses.^[22] Do the Earth a favor: save your leftovers and take them for lunch instead of going to a restaurant. If you have some veggies that have seen better days but are still good, turn them into a soup and pour it into jars for an easy grab and go lunch.

30. Stop Printing

The average American uses seven trees worth of paper and paper products every year.^[23] That’s a lot of trees, and most of it ends up in the garbage. Whenever possible, avoid printing at work. A link or a PDF is often easier to keep up with and won’t clutter your coworkers’ desks.

Lasting Changes

Small changes add up quickly and can make a measurable difference on your carbon footprint and use of the Earth’s natural resources. Hopefully, these will provide a good start and encourage you to explore other areas such as using fewer disposable goods and recycling regularly. If everyone adopted just a few of these changes, we could significantly reduce our collective impact on the Earth.

†Results may vary. Information and statements made are for education purposes and are not intended to replace the advice of your doctor. If you have a severe medical condition or health concern, see your physician.

Dr. Edward Group, DC

FOUNDER | HEALER | ADVOCATE

Dr. Group, DC is a healer and alternative health advocate, and an industry leader and innovator in the field of natural health who is dedicated to helping others. He is a registered doctor of chiropractic (DC), a naturopathic practitioner (NP), and proud alum of Harvard Business School and MIT Sloan School of Management. Dr. Group, DC is the founder of Global Healing – a mission and vision he has shared through best-selling books and frequent media appearances. He aims to spread his message of positivity, hope, and wellness throughout the world.

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