Celebrate Earth Day Every Day

Every year, Americans use approximately 102.1 billion plastic bags, creating tons of landfill waste and pollution in our waterways. (www.ewg.org) 

Earth Day makes people reflect on their impact on the environment.  What are they doing right? What could they do better?

You don't have to make huge changes to make a difference.  There are little steps you can take that will add up over time, and Bumkins is here to help!  Check out the following tips below for some easy ways to make your life a little "greener."

Tips for Reducing Lunch Waste at School or Work:

• Carry your lunch in a lunch box or a reusable snack bag.
• Try a reusable container for your drinks.
• Use reusable snack bags instead of plastic bags.
• Use reusable forks, spoons and knives or wash plasticware and use it again.
• Buy food items in bulk and make individual servings using reusable containers.
• Get fun cloth napkins to wash and reuse.
• Bring a thermos or coffee mug from home to the cafe instead of using disposable cups.

Tips for Traveling Green

• Pack toiletries in reusable travel bags instead of disposable plastic bags.
• Bring a reusable water bottle and refill from water fountains instead of buying individual bottles.
• Bring reusable wet/dry bags for soiled clothes, spill-able bottles and a tote bag for groceries.
• Don't buy travel sized items, dispense product from full-sized bottles into small reusable containers like these.
• Turn off — and unplug! — lights and electronics while you're away. Turn down the thermostat. Suspend newspaper delivery and mail services.

Tips for Staying Green at Home

• Use rags or hand towels instead of paper towels or napkins.
• Use art smocks and bibs that can be washed and reused to protect clothing.
• Cut your shower time by 20% or take one fewer shower per week.
• Buy locally sourced food when possible, instead of .
• Cloth diaper your baby! The Union of Concerned Scientists has estimated about 18 billion diapers are thrown into landfills every year.  
• When crafting, use reusable splat mats instead of disposable tablecloths or newspaper to protect tables and floors.
• Avoid using disposable plates, cups, silverware, napkins, etc. (Including food to-go!) 
• Minimize toilet flushing—“if it's yellow, it's mellow, if it's brown, flush it down."
• Replace your light bulbs with CFLs or LEDs, which use less energy.
• Avoid using the clothes dryer by hanging your clothes out to dry whenever possible.
• Turn off—and unplug!—lights and electronics while you're away.
• Donate unused items to thrift organizations and shop at thrift stores to buy gently used items instead of new.

(http://www.earthguardians.org/50simplethings)

Have Plastic Bags to Recycle? 

Visit PlasticFilmRecycling.org, enter your ZIP code into the search tool, and it will find the nearest place to take any unwanted plastic bags. You can also use 1800Recycling’s recycling search tool to find your closest plastic film recycler.

There's no need to go completely off the grid to help save the environment.  Making a few adjustments will add up over time, benefitting both you and the Earth.  Just by replacing disposable products with reusable ones, and reducing your consumption, you'll not only help save the environment, you'll save money—a win/win situation! a Rafflecopter giveaway