“We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children. ”— Chief Seattle, 1854.
Let’s consider 3 areas where we can participate at home with Earth Day:
1. FOOD
“How can we reduce food waste?”
1 Push the limit of your ingredients. Are some of your produce wilting in the crisper? You can reinvigorate some veggies, like lettuce, with a quick ice water bath. Are bananas going brown? Peel them and toss them in a container in the freezer to use later for baked goods or smoothies. Overcooked leftovers, wilted, or ugly produce are all prime ingredients for hearty soups and stews.
2 Trust your senses on ‘best before.’ Most food is safe to eat a lot longer than we think—for fresh and canned goods. Most expiration dates have nothing to do with safety and, depending on the kind of item, many foods are still safe to eat days, weeks, or months after confusing “best by,” “sell by,” and “best before” labels. Most of the time, trust your senses to know when food has gone bad or you can search the FoodKeeper App to learn more about food freshness and storage options.
3 Ready, set, freeze! You can freeze almost anything—eggs, meats, produce, sauces—whether you just brought it home, or already cooked it. Keep containers tight and leave a little room for liquids. Freeze in portions for easy access, and date and label so you don’t forget what’s what. While it’s a bit of extra work upfront, freezing will save you loads of cooking, prep, and even shopping time later down the line. And you’ll save money if you use everything you buy.
Research new plant-based recipes or recreate your favorite family recipes with plant-based alternatives.
Learn food preservation techniques such as canning, pickling, drying and freezing to enjoy fruits and vegetables year-round and minimize your food waste.
How do your food choices impact on the environment. Calculate your food print
2. CONSERVATION
Learn about endangered species and lands
3. PLASTICS
Plastics are a problem mostly due to their un-biodegradable nature, the materials used for plastic production (hydrocarbon molecules—derived from the refining of oil and natural gas), and the challenges behind properly discarding them
Here are 11 ways to reduce your consumption of plastics:
1 Conduct a plastic audit in your home. Count how many plastic containers, wraps, bottles and bags you purchase for your kitchen and bathroom.
2 Take a reusable coffee cup with you.
3 No to plastic straws.
4 Cut down on plastic carrier bags – bring your own canvas bag! You can buy reusable mesh bags that replace the plastic bags you use for bulk produce at the grocery store
5 Use dishes, glasses, and metal silverware instead of their plastic counterparts.
6 Choose cardboard and paper over plastic.
7 Say no to single-use plastic bottles! Stop buying bottled water. Carry a reusable bottle to limit the number of throwaway bottles, a major source of pollution.
8 Select products that are designed for multiple uses and making sure nothing gets thrown away before its usefulness is spent
9 Take a little extra time while doing your shopping and select products without plastic packaging.
10 When you go clothes shopping, avoid fabrics with plastic microfibers such as nylon and polyester
11. Consider trying washable reusable cloth diapers instead of disposable ones
Links
20 ways to save the Earth as a family
More at Earth Day at Home