Did you know April 22 is Earth Day? If you’ve never heard of the day before, it is a global event intended to help fight pollution and take action to help clean up the environment. Every year they have a theme or focus, and this year they’ve picked ending plastic pollution. So how can you and your children help? Take the pledge to stop or reduce your use of plastic pollution. While plastic can be a very useful material, our society is known for overusing it, which can be harmful since plastic doesn’t biodegrade easily. Here are a couple ideas for how you and your family can take action.
For example, do you use a lot of plastic disposable water bottles? They can be convenient but they can be a nuisance to our environment too. In fact, you may be using more than you think. To help cut down on plastic usage, consider using getting a refillable glass or stainless-steel water bottle that you can refill throughout the week instead. You’ll still get the portability without all the waste. And in some cases – like with stainless-steel – your bottle will keep your drink colder for longer, too!
Another way you can cut down on your plastic pollution is shopping bags. When you go shopping, it’s easy to accumulate a lot of bags, especially if you make a large shopping trip. The next time you go to the store, consider bringing reusable cloth bags with you. Not only are they sturdier then traditional bags, they can hold more and may even cut down on the number of shopping bags you have to deal with. Some stores even give credits or incentives for those that bring reusable bags into the store.
It’s not easy to change habits, but it can help the environment for now and for later. You can read more about plastic pollution and get more ideas with their Earth Day Primer.