When it comes to living a more sustainable lifestyle, small changes can make a huge impact in the long run. It’s not an all-or-nothing thing. 

Earth Day comes around once a year, when in reality, everyday should be Earth Day. We should all be putting our part to reflect on our actions and seeing how we can consistently improve them to benefit the wellbeing of our home and mother nature. 

Here are some small actions we can ALL start incorporating into our daily lives to make everyday Earth Day:

Go organic

Going organic is one of those “small step giant leap,” actions that you can take.  Organic farming and an organic diet can safeguard and improve the health of the environment and the health of your family. When products are made through USDA certified organic practices, they are helping preserve the wellbeing of the soil and our atmosphere. If you don’t do it for yourself, do it for your children and your children’s children. Because when you go organic you are healing the earth not just for your generation, but for future generations to come. 

Recycle more than you throw away

We know, recycling is not a silver-bullet solution to our problems (better to skip the single-use plastics altogether, but more on that later). But if you’re going to recycle, at least do it right. Otherwise, you may end up doing more harm than good. Sometimes committing yourself to a resolution like recycling can be easier said than done. It requires huge changes in your everyday lifestyle. But instead of changing the way you love, change the way you think. Educate yourself on how to properly recycle, stop buying single-use items, and start giving away things that may have some life left in them!  

Skip the single-use plastic

Did you know that those convenient plastic grocery bags are only used for an average of 15-20 minutes? (According to a 2017 study done by the New York Department of sanitation.) Meanwhile they have a lifespan of 500-1,000 years in the landfill. Suddenly that convenience is looking very inconvenient for our planet. Just keep reusable bags in your car or your backpack, and make sure to always carry it with you. Small actions like this can have big impacts. You can even try to take this to the next level. I challenge you to see if you can go a whole day without single-use plastic. And then come back here and let us know how it went.

Stop buying into fast fashion

We all do it. Some might even do it without realizing they’re doing it. Fast fashion clothing retailers like Zara, Forever 21 and H&M make cheap and fashionable clothing, but the cost comes at a high price. According to the UN Environmental Programme, the fashion industry is the second-biggest consumer of water and is responsible for 8-10% of global carbon emissions - more than all international flights and maritime shipping combined. The effects of fast fashion are so lengthy, they can have their own blog post (let us know if you’re interested in one), but to put it plainly, start buying from vintage stores or sustainable brands if you want to take a step in the right direction.

Get involved

And lastly, and probably the most important action you can take is to get involved. You can start by picking up trash in your own neighborhood, support organic farms, attend an Earth Day event and meet people who will educate you further. Find an angle that truly speaks to you. From choosing brands that participate in sustainable practices to finding earth-wise charities that get involved with causes you can relate to, it’s really easy to make small changes that can add up to a big difference. If only New Year’s resolutions were this easy.