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5 Ways to Locally Go Green for Earth Day
April 21, 2019
We’ve all heard of Earth Day. You know, that one day a year that your kids mention going outside their school and picking up trash? Yeah, that day is Earth Day. The one day much of the planet focuses on taking care of the Earth.
Thing is, Earth Day is important everyday and we here at Grandpa Shorter’s are all about going green each and everyday, not just one special day a year. Going green doesn’t have to take a lot of time and it doesn’t have to be hard. Even small changes to the way you drink water or coffee and recycle on a daily basis can have a huge impact!
I recently had the opportunity to speak with Lindsey Walker, Recycling Outreach Manager at the Emmet County Recycling Center. We talked about the ways we can all go green locally year around here in the community and I’m excited to share the ideas with our readers!
5 Ways to Go Green Locally
Reducing waste buy shopping strategically and consuming less. Buy products in bulk versus single item containers and bring your own reusable bags when shopping it. This all goes a long way in going green.
Reusable is always the best way to go. Love coffee and water on the go? Grab a mug or reusable water bottle to cut down on waste. I personally love straws (I know, I know, they’re NOT good for the environment). I now actually carry a reusable straw in my purse (my husband thinks I’m nuts) and it’s so great to have on hand out and about!
Explore backyard composting. Did you know that 25% of waste in the U.S. is food waste? Emmet County Recycling Center wants to give all food a future by utilizing composting. They even run a FREE community composting program. A booth is set up at local farmer’s markets year around and community members are encouraged to take a free composting container. If starting a compost pile at home isn’t your thing, you can always drop off your compost at the farmer’s market booth and/or the Emmet County Recycling Center.
#TrashTag – Are you on social media? If yes, you may have seen this cool new challenge called #TrashTag. Participants pick up trash wherever they may be: the beach, park or even just walking down the sidewalk. If you see trash you pick it up. Participants are encouraged to take a photo or a selfie, upload it to social media and tag it #TrashTag.
Recycle your electronics. Did you know ALL electronics are recyclable? This includes VCR’s, old computers, phones, printers, laptops and more. Emmet County Recycling Center accepts all electronics for a small fee.
Getting kids involved. More and more schools are becoming increasingly aware of the need to reduce, reuse and recycle. Two local elementary schools have even gone as far as collecting plastic bottle caps to make buddy benches for their playgrounds. Such a great way to get kids involved!
