By Seabuck Staff , published Apr 20, 2018

How to Do Your Part on Earth Day

Celebrated worldwide, Earth Day reminds us to support and protect the planet. Modern day living has many conveniences, but they come with a price. Driving your car or taking out the trash can have a bigger impact than you may think.

Over the years people have become more aware of these issues and have taken steps to improve. Many cities provide recycling programs, but that still isn't enough. Here some ideas to help you make the earth a little greener and cleaner this year.

Fight Plastic Pollution

 

According to Science Daily, only 9% of plastic that created since 1950 has been recycled. Plastic is not biodegradable and can become toxic waste by releasing chemicals into the ground. At this rate, by 2050 the amount of plastic in landfills will weigh the same as the Empire State Building (1). Plastic pollution is completely out of control across the globe. Recycling is helpful and necessary, but the land itself needs care too.

Consider donating your time and money to an organization that fights plastic pollution.

Online Billing

Prevent paper that you are going to recycle from ending up at your door in the first place. Sign up for online billing for everything from electricity to internet. The only thing better than recycling paper bills is not getting them at all. When signing up for online billing, you can always set reminders so you don't forget about them!

Don't Waste Water

In 10 minutes you can use up to 50 gallons of water. When brushing your teeth turn off the water rather than letting it go to waste. If you have a leaky toilet, fix it! A leaking toilet can waste up to 20 gallons of water per day.

Plant A Tree

Planting a tree can be a fun group activity to do on Earth Day. It also helps the environment redevelop. Trees are valuable to the earth for many reasons. Trees help the environment by:

• Improving  Air Quality
• Reducing Greenhouse Gases
• Lessening City Noise
• Providing Wildlife Habitats
• Slowing Stormwater
• Reducing Smog

Test Yourself 

You can take this quiz to find out how much you know about the importance of trees and how much we depend on them.

onetreeplanted.org

Make an Earth Day Resolution (And Stick To It)

We often set new year goals for ourselves to benefit our lives. Apply the same concept to going green to benefit the environment. It's easier to live a greener lifestyle than you think!

Hataway, James. “More than 8.3 Billion Tons of Plastics Made: Most Has Now Been Discarded.” ScienceDaily, ScienceDaily, 19 July 2017, www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/07/170719140939.htm.