As Earth Day approaches and we celebrate the earth’s natural beauty and resources, it’s a great time to think about going green. Small changes can make a big difference to the environment and the changes you make today can have a big impact, not just on Earth Day, but every day of the year.

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Switch to cloth

Making the switch to cloth products can help reduce waste. Families can choose what works for them by changing out a little or a lot of the paper products their family consumes for cloth alternatives. Using cloth napkins, cloth cleaning rags, reusable shopping bags, and reducing the amount of paper plates and cups are small changes your family can implement to make a big impact on the environment. Some families may choose to switch to reusable snack and sandwich bags for lunches or choose cloth diapers and wipes over disposable. For others, they simply switch to using reusable water bottles instead of plastic disposable water bottles and juice boxes.  This will still have a big impact on the waste in our landfills.

Meatless Monday

Becoming vegetarian may not be the right choice for every family but designating one night a week to cook a meatless meal is a small change with a big impact on the environment and your health. Choosing a meatless meal once a week doesn’t usually a big sacrifice but once a week equals 52 times a year and helps reduce water consumption and gases that contribute to the greenhouse effect. Another little change that can make a big difference.

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Recycle and reuse

If your family isn’t already recycling, it’s a great time to start and it’s not a big adjustment. Usually it involves having a conversation with your kids about what is recyclable and designating a place for those items to go. Another great way to reduce waste is to reuse items. Glass and plastic containers can be reused for food storage, craft items, lunchbox containers, and endless other uses. Old clothes and towels can be made into cleaning rags, rugs, or dog toys. An old toothbrush can be used for scrubbing. The possibilities are endless and the internet is full of great ideas.