Join Raising Voices in celebrating Earth Day (April 22 ) everyday! How can you make an impact? Try one tip a day or week and keep at it. You can make a difference!
Download the Tip-A-Day Calendar (PDF)
April 2019“If many little people, in many little places do many little things, they can change the face of the Earth.” – African Proverb |
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| Day 1 | Shopping? Try to source locally before turning to online retailers. Saves on fossil fuel, packaging and supports your local businesses. |
| Day 2 | Morning & Evening Routines -Turn the water off when brushing your teeth and save gallons! |
| Day 3 | That’s my neighbor on the field or at an activity. Let’s Carpool! More time for all & saves fuel. |
| Day 4 | Steam your veggies on top of your pasta pot tonight to save on time, dishwashing and energy. |
| Day 5 | Friday Night Lights – Take advantage of natural daylight and turn off lights in the evening when leaving a room. |
| Day 6 | Saturday Sports – Keep our fields clean. Inspire others by example, and trash the litter. Speak-up when you see littering and make a difference! |
| Day 7 | April showers equal rainy days, so put the electronics away and make it family game night! |
| Day 8 | Lunchtime Alternatives – Reuse plastic deli and other washable containers instead of one use plastic bags. |
| Day 9 | Paper products account for 1/3 of the waste commonly found in landfills. Sponges, washcloths, and towels are cheaper, reusable, and take up less space than paper towels. |
| Day 10 | Walk, Run, Bike – Every time you leave your car at home you reduce air pollution, lower greenhouse gas emissions, improve your health and save money. |
| Day 11 | Change a light bulb, change the world. Compact fluorescent bulbs and LEDS vs. regular incandescent bulbs use 2/3 less energy and last up to 10 times longer. |
| Day 12 | 1500 water bottles are used every second in the U.S. When leaving the house remember your keys, phone, bag, and reusable water bottle. Our oceans thank you! |
| Day 13 | Spring Cleaning – Substitute vinegar, baking soda & lemon juice for chemical laden cleaners. They are effective, safer for our water systems and produce less greenhouse gas. Try it! |
| Day 14 | Bring Your Own Bag – Grocery shopping, the mall, take-out, or wherever you shop, bring your own! Leave reusable bags in your trunk and you won’t forget! |
| Day 15 | Paper Recycling – One stack of 10 newspapers recycled saves a tree from being chopped down. Recycle paper packaging and any notices that come home from school too! |
| Day 16 | Packing a spoon in lunch? Ditch the disposable; reach for the utensil drawer. Refuse one-use plastic! |
| Day 17 | Packaging Matters – Plastic can only be recycled once, glass up to 7 times, and aluminum infinitely. Think cans before bottles! Think unpackaged veggies before bagged salads, etc. |
| Day 18 | Save & Return Your Plastic Bottles for $.05 at your local store, give the money to charity and help your neighbor in need! Every penny counts! |
| Day 19 | Eat Your Vegetables – Each year in the US alone, 80 % of all agricultural land, 1/2 of all water resources, 70 % of all grain, & 1/3 of all fossil fuels are used to raise animals for food. |
| Day 20 | Shutdown – Unplug while on vacation/not in use: toasters, coffee pots, air conditioners, lamps, TVs, computers, etc. |
| Day 21 | To dry or not to dry? NOT! Run your dishwasher before bed and turn heated dry off. By morning your dishes are dry without using extra energy! |
| Day 22 | Straws make up 10% of all plastic pollution. Say no thank you to straws at restaurants, takeout, fast food, deli, school etc. |
| Day 23 | Vacation Water Use – Water supplies are an acute concern in hot climates. The average vacationer uses twice as much water as each resident daily. |
| Day 24 | Sunscreen – One of the biggest and most permanent contributors to marine pollution is sunscreen. Look for sunscreen that’s marine life safe. |
| Day 25 | Staycation? Visit a local farm and learn about where our food comes from and food sustainability. |
| Day 26 | Laundry never ends! Use cold or warm water for washes vs. hot. Shake out laundry before putting in dryer and use dryer balls to cutback time. |
| Day 27 | Yard Clean-Up – Opt for paper lawn bags vs. plastic. They are biodegradable and meet your needs. |
| Day 28 | Spring Planting – Go bee/butterfly friendly and plant natural bug repellants– think lavender, mint marigolds, petunias, basil, and rosemary. |
| Day 29 | Buy, Sell, Swap – Before trashing an unwanted item, donate, sell or swap it. Many apps are available to make it easy! |
| Day 30 | Practice the 5 Rs: Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Repurpose, Recycle |