Earth Day takes place every year on April 22nd. It’s usually a day where people look for ways to help clean the earth and give back to it. People usually volunteer to plant trees or pick up trash at a specific location as a way to appreciate the planet. This special day has recently passed but it’s never too late to find ways to help the earth. Keeping the earth clean may be easier than you think. With that said, here are five easy ways to keep the earth clean!
- Opt out of using plastic products
-
You might not realize how much plastic you use but things you do daily add to the landfill. For instance, drinking from a Starbucks plastic cup every morning, using plastic straws at places you frequently dine at and drinking water from plastic water bottles every day. Some easy fixes to each of these problems are to bring your own reusable cup and straw for that Starbucks drink and having a reusable water bottle that you can fill up every day. With plastic products that you already have, you can always reuse it for a different purpose! For more information on reducing and reusing materials such as plastic, click here.
- Pick up trash you see on the ground
-
Sacramento State is known for its green trees and green grass, so it’s important that we keep it free from litter. If you see trash just laying on the ground, pick it up and throw it away even if it isn’t your trash. Doing so can encourage others to pick up their trash and with everyone participating in the act, the entire place can start looking a little greener! Planning days to go pick up trash with your friends or family is also a great way to reduce the waste we see on a daily basis. It’s also important that we don’t become part of the problem so always remember to throw away your trash in its respective place!
- Conserve energy and water
-
We don’t realize how much energy and electricity is being wasted when we don’t take out the plugs. When not in use unplug your chargers to save you money on your electricity bill and conserve energy! Another way you can conserve energy is by switching off the lights when they aren’t necessary to use. Instead, open up those blinds or curtains and let some natural sunlight in! For more information on how to conserve energy, click here. Water is also an element that can be conserved to help the planet. A great app to use is Dropcountr which connects you to your water utility company. This will allow you to keep track of how much water you use and help you set a water budget to conserve water.
- Reduce pollution by not driving your car everyday
-
Driving your car every day releases carbon into the atmosphere making the world deteriorate much faster. Carbon is really good at holding onto heat. As carbon is released into the atmosphere, it retains more heat from the sun. This can explain why the weather is getting warmer every year and what others might call global warming. It’s also pricey when it comes to putting gas in your car up each week, especially if you’re someone who commutes. Try using a different mode of transportation such as bikes, scooters or skateboards. You can also try carpooling or using public transportation to lessen the amount of carbon being released every day. As Sacramento State students, public transportation is already paid for with our tuition so all you have to do is show the bus driver your OneCard with the commuter sleeve on! The cost for the commuter sleeve should already be covered in your registration fees so all you have to do is pick it up at Bursar’s Office at Lassen Hall or at the University Transportation and Parking Services office (UTAPS) on the 1st floor in Folsom Hall. For more information about commuter sleeves, click here.
- Recycle
-
This may not seem like a big deal, but it can actually make a huge difference. Recycling can reduce waste that is usually stuck in landfills for years. Look out for trash cans that are labeled with “Recycle” and make sure you only throw recyclable objects in there. You’ll reduce the process of having to separate real trash and recyclables. Some of the common objects you can recycle are paper, cardboard, plastics and glass. For more information about recycling, click here.
Making the world a little greener doesn’t necessarily have to be hard and these are five easy ways that it can be done. Try to incorporate these ideas in your life as much as you can and we can be sure to make the world a little greener one step at a time!