It’s earth week. Yay!

But shouldn’t every week be earth week?

As humans, it is our responsibility to take care of the planet we all call home. It seems this break from our everyday lives has, in turn, celebrated the earth. Air pollution is clearing, and dolphins are swimming through the canals of Venice, but we can’t become lax because of these advantages. We must continue to make conscious decisions about how we treat our natural environment.

While this quarantine proceeds, we find ourselves doing the same thing every day, breaking our activities into three categories: eating, cleaning, and taking care of ourselves (or trying to). The one thing I find myself to be most concerned with, in our current global state is not wasting, ANYTHING!

Eating

Morning, noon, and night. What’s for breakfast, lunch, and dinner? I find my daily schedule revolving around what I am cooking next, or more importantly, what I have to use before it goes bad!

Normally, I would point out that more than 38 million tons of food waste is diverted to our landfills each year but our everyday concerns have shifted. During this unpredictable time of not knowing what will happen next or if we might still have our jobs tomorrow, not wasting food and saving money go hand in hand. If you are thinking about what your next dinner and movie night might consist of, check out Wasted! The Story of Food Waste (maybe, watch it after dinner, not during).

Now that you know where your food waste goes (if you didn’t already), contemplate starting an at-home compost in your inevitable downtime. To stop yourself from having to take a trip out to your compost each time you cook, invest in an all-natural countertop compost. If you have brown, spotty bananas going to waste on your counter, try out this super easy, yummy recipe for Banana Bread Muffins instead of composting them.

Coffee (or tea). The answer to our lazy day problems. Now that humans are not rushing out the door every day to get to school or work, we can take our time and enjoy the zero waste coffee making process. NO K-cups needed. Take your time, use a french press, Moka pot, or pour-over coffee maker and if you can’t kick the K-cup addiction trying using the reusable option.

On to the next zero waste kitchen hack. Again, as we are home and cooking, we need to store our food. With what? Saran wrap? Plastic bags? The numerous alternatives are out there, try Bee’s Wrap or reusable plastic bags to fight the plastic habit.

Using paper in the kitchen is one of the hardest habits to kick to the curb. It’s so easy to just rip it off, use it and throw it away. Tomorrow, count each time you use a paper towel or napkin. What are the alternatives? Cloth cotton napkins, rags, or these super fun Swedish dishcloths that are biodegradable and super absorbent.

Cleaning

When in doubt, (bored or stressed) clean the house. There are so many products out there that come in plastic or are single-use that makes cleaning extremely easy. But, during these times of not much to do, why not try out new sustainable ways to clean? Yes, it might take more time and require a couple of extra steps, but getting used to it now will make it easier when returning to everyday life.

My go-to all-purpose, purchasable cleaner is hands down, Mrs. Myer’s Clean Day. In times of the flu-season and now, COVID-19 using something a bit stronger like hydrogen peroxide. Whatever liquid cleaner you decide to use, remember to use a cotton reusable towel or cloth diaper inserts (read more here).

With all of these cotton towels in use, there really shouldn’t be any plastic microfibers in your washing machine, but it is hard to account for every piece of fabric you own. Check out this short video, The Story of Microfibers, for more information on the intriguing topic of microplastics. To lessen the plastic load in your washer and dryer, stop buying dryer sheets and invest in wool dryer balls. Not only are you cutting back on your wastefulness and decreasing your dryer time, but you also get to pick your scents with essential oils. On to the last fun tidbit for creating a zero-waste laundry experience. The Cora Microfiber Laundry Ball. This little contraption captures microplastics while you’re cleaning your clothes, and that’s all there is to it! Throw it in and save the ocean!

Self Care

Since we have covered how to eat and clean sustainably, how can we take care of ourselves and the planet at the same time?

Let’s start with the first thing we do when we wake up and the last thing we do before we go to bed, brush our teeth. There are so many options when it comes to eco-friendly toothbrushes, whether it’s bamboo, a plant-based plastic, or recycled plastic, you have to pick the best fit for you and anything is better than straight virgin plastic.

Over the years, as humans, we have become accustomed to having various options for everything we buy. Ten years ago, people always complained that there were not enough sustainable alternatives. Now, there aren’t just options for non-sustainable items, but there are options for sustainable choices as well, including toothpaste! Who would have thought? We can use toothpaste powder and even tablets instead of our standard plastic-filled tubes.

Our mouths are set, let’s clean our bodies. Another thing we are accustomed to, the evil liquid soap in a plastic bottle that we squirt onto our loofah. Let’s be honest, though, it is still possible to lather up our cleaning tools with bar soap too. Again, you just need to take those extra steps we talked about earlier. If you’re a plant owner, remember to bring in a bucket to collect all your wastewater while showering and give your air purifiers a drink.

As you can see, the options to become zero waste, or to lead a sustainable lifestyle are endless. And, remember every action no matter how big or small, matters, not just on Earth Day, but every day!