GREEN TIP 1: Reusable Bags We use and discard nearly 1 trillion plastic bags a year! Plastic bags are not goof for the environment and are often unnecessary. Taking reusable cloth bags to the store is one of the easiest steps you can take to reduce waste and care for the planet. The best part, everyone can do it! Click here to take on this Climate Commitment and learn more.
GREEN TIP 2: Use A Reusable Water Bottle As a nation, we throw away 35 billion plastic bottles a year. Even the 25% of those that get recycled will almost always end up in a landfill. The best solution is to just eliminate the usage altogether. This lifestyle switch will reduce a considerable amount of your waste and save you money. Click here to take on this Climate Commitment and learn more.
GREEN TIP 3: Avoid Fast Food Did you know the biggest contributor to the waste floating in the oceans (49%) is from fast food? Not only is fast food often unhealthy, it creates a ton of garbage! Instead of fast food, opt for wholesome meals with lots of fruits and veggies. You will find that better food comes in less packaging and you’ll feel better too. Click here to take on this Climate Commitment and learn more.
GREEN TIP 4: Ditch the Paper Towels Did you know that “every day, over 3,000 tons of paper towel waste is produced in the US alone?” When it’s time to clean house or wipe up a mess, use reusable rags and just throw into the laundry when the rag is dirty. Opt for a cloth napkin rather than paper. Such an easy swap that will eliminate more of your trash and save you money. Click here to take on this Climate Commitment and learn more.
GREEN TIP 5: Use a Reusable Coffee Cup We drink a lot of coffee. 587 million cups per day for Americans. That’s quite a few cups that are going right into the garbage. Instead of getting that coffee in a disposable cup bring your own. It’s a simple switch that saves a lot of waste. Click here to take on this Climate Commitment and learn more.
GREEN TIP 6: Cloth Produce Bags Smaller cloth bags can serve multiple purposes at a grocery store or farmers market. Use them for fruits, veggies, bulk products, bread, etc. Ditch those flimsy plastic bags in the produce department and bring your own. These can be purchased, easily sewn from scrap fabric, or you can use something already around your house like an extra pillowcase! Click here to take on this Climate Commitment and learn more.
GREEN TIP 7: Buy in Bulk More and more grocery stores are implementing bulk sections, which is fantastic for those of us who wish to eliminate food packaging. The bulk sections are usually comprised of a few aisles of items like flour, sugar, spices, nuts, cereals, grains, and candy that are completely package-free. The trick? Bring your own containers (cloth cinch bags for the dry foods, mason jars or bottles for the wet). One of the best resources to find local bulk items is Litterless.com, which lists stores and online marketplaces that are bringing back bulk. Click here to take on this Climate Commitment and learn more.
GREEN TIP 8: Bring Your Own Utensils It’s estimated that 40 billion plastic utensils are thrown away every year in the United States and this is usually after one use. Don't be fooled into thinking disposables save water! Did you know it takes 8 gallons of water just to make one paper plate!? Avoiding these disposables is very simple. Keep your own reusable utensils with you (in your desk, your car, your purse). Anytime you’re tempted with disposable cutlery, refuse and use your own. Click here to take on this Climate Commitment and learn more.
GREEN TIP 9: Reduce Your Food Waste Food waste is a huge problem in the United States, where 40% of the food that we grow goes to waste. Food takes a lot of resources to grow and transport, and we shouldn't waste it. Look for ways to use up or preserve food so that nothing goes in the trash. Get creative with leftovers and food scraps, or simply freeze what you cannot finish. Click here to take on this Climate Commitment and learn more.
GREEN TIP 10: Say “No” to Freebies Freebies are everywhere, from promotional pens and bags to party favors, to those annoying packets of junk you get at the dentist’s office. Do we really need them? Probably not. But when we accept these things it increases the demand for more to be made. If you don’t need it, refuse it. Click here to take on this Climate Commitment and learn more.
GREEN TIP 11: Use a Compostable Toothbrush Did you know about 50 million pounds of toothbrushes get sent to the landfill each year? Crazy, right? Instead get yourself a sustainable toothbrush like one made from bamboo! They work just as effectively as their wasteful, plastic counterparts and can be composted when they ware out. Click here to take on this Climate Commitment and learn more.
GREEN TIP 12: Homemade Toiletries The bathroom is usually the second most wasteful part of anyone’s house. We use so many products! Sadly, for most of the products we buy, they are not recyclable and often contain harmful chemicals that our bodies definitely don’t need. But many of these products can be made at home with very simple ingredients. Click here to take on this Climate Commitment and learn more.
GREEN TIP 13: Start Composting Composting returns natural items like food scraps and paper back to the soil where it will break down. It's one of the best ways you can help fight climate change! Click here to take on this Climate Commitment and learn more.
GREEN TIP 14: Say No to Straws Plastic straws may seem harmless but we use and throw away a lot of them. 500 million a day, to be exact. Next time you're at a restaurant or the cafeteria, order your drink without a straw. If you really love straws consider investing in a reusable option like a metal or glass straw. Click here to take on this Climate Commitment and learn more.
GREEN TIP 15: Visit Your Farmer’s Market Not only is shopping local better for the environment, you also have access to many products that are handmade and homegrown which means less packaging. Farmer’s Markets give you the chance to support local families and farmers, learn about where your food comes from, connect with your community, and save some money. Need help locating a farmer’s market near you? Check out the USDA’s Farmer’s Market Directory. Click here to take on this Climate Commitment and learn more.
GREEN TIP 16: Junk Mail So much of what arrives in the mail goes straight in the trash. Junk mail litters our mailboxes and usually ends up in a landfill unless we recycle it. But why wait to recycle this stuff when we can just stop it from getting created in the first place. There are many websites and services that can help you reduce your junk mail load. Click here to take on this Climate Commitment and learn more.