10 Every Day Actions

Here are 10 things you can do for Earth Day, and all year long!

1. Stop buying plastic water bottles. Get a few reusable water ones instead and keep them in your car, beach bag, school backpack etc. so you have no excuses.

2. Recycle right. Check out this guide to recycling properly with input from Marin Sanitary Service, Marin Hazardous and Solid Waste Joint Powers Authority, Sonoma County Waste Management Agency, WM EarthCare, Mill Valley Refuse Service, Recology Sonoma Marin, and Bay Cities Refuse.

3. Just say "no" to plastic bags and packaging. Americans throw away 100 billion plastic bags annually. That’s about 307 bags per person! Bring your own reusable bags wherever you go. Grab an SD bag here.

4. Walk, ride, roll, or carpool to save money on gas, and reduce CO2 emissions. It’s also healthier for your body!

5. Swap regular light bulbs for LEDs. LED light bulbs use up to 80 percent less energy than conventional incandescents and they save you money. A 10-watt LED that replaces a traditional 60-watt bulb will save $125 over the lightbulb’s life.

6. Unplug devices when not in use. They still pull energy and this adds up to the output of 50 large American power plants! Don't leave fully charged devices plugged into your home's outlets, unplug rarely used devices or plug them into power strips and timers, and adjust your computers and monitors to automatically power down to the lowest power mode when not in use.

7. Choose fuel efficient cars and/or electric vehicles whenever possible.

8. If it goes in, on, or around your body or home, choose organic. Sunscreen, bath and body products, agriculture runoff, untreated sewage, pesticides, fertilizers, chemicals are all around us and they all end up in our food and water supplies which end up in you. Environmental Working Group is a great resource for non-toxic product and food source ratings.

9. Increase your home’s energy efficiency by sealing drafts and choosing Energy Star rated appliances.

10. Recognize environmental justice means racial justice. Both ocean, air, and water pollution from hazardous waste and chemical use, and extreme weather events from climate change, unequally impact low-income communities of color.