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Make Small Changes in Your Everyday Tasks and 18 Earth Friendly Things Kids Can Do This Earth Day

earth_day_arlington_kidsWith all the wonderful Earth Day celebrations this weekend, I am sharing Kate Harrison, CEO of the Green Life Guides and GreenBridgeGuide.com tips for kick-starting a green lifestyle throughout the year and 18 Earth-friendly things kids can do to celebrate Earth Day every day!

You can easily conserve resources in your everyday life just by making a few small changes in and around your home.

Here are some other ways to green your day-to-day duties:

Grocery Shopping– Green your trash bags:  It is so easy and inexpensive to get trash bags made from recycled or biodegradable material these days that there is little excuse not to use them. You can buy a roll at most supermarkets or online from Kokopelli’s Green Market (kokogm.com). Bring your own reusable tote to the grocery store with you. Leave a few totes in the trunk of your car or stash them away in your purse for unexpected trips.

Skip the Suds-Try a green detergent such as 7th Generation which comes in a recycled cardboard bottle. You can also use a detergent designed for cold water; using cold water for each wash load saves energy, which is good for the earth, and also saves money, which is great for your wallet. Cold water detergents are formulated to fight dirt and stains just as well as their warm water counterparts.

Use a dishwasher instead of washing plates by hand. Buy an Energy Star Rated washer, only run it when it is full and skip the pre-rinse cycle.

Choose Non-Toxic Cleaning Products-For every commercial and chemical based product on the market, there is probably a greener alternative…or even a homemade substitution!

•    Baking Soda: This is great for cleaning, deodorizing, softening water and scouring dishes.

•    Soap: Unscented soap in liquid, flake or powder form is biodegradable and will clean just about anything.

•    Lemon: A strong food acid effective against most household bacteria.

•    Borax: Cleans, deodorizes, disinfects, softens water, cleans wallpaper, painted walls and floors

•    White Vinegar: Cuts grease, removes mildew, odors, some stains and wax build-up.

•    Washing Soda: Cuts grease, removes stains, softens water, cleans walls, tiles, sinks and tubs.

•    Cornstarch: Can be used to clean windows, polish furniture, shampoo carpets and rugs.

•    Citrus Solvent: Cleans paintbrushes, oil and grease and some stains.

Green Your Pet-The carbon emissions emitted from the production and transportation of your pet’s food can be quite high; to offset this, look for healthy food alternatives. While organic pet food may cost a bit more, it is made with renewable resources and no pesticides or environmentally unfriendly fertilizers. Whether it comes in bottles, bags or cans, chances are that your pet’s food containers can be recycled.

Scooping poop is no fun for anyone but you can make it more environmentally friendly by using biodegradable bags, which are available at most pet stores. This is an excellent alternative to using plastic bags which are nearly impossible to decompose.

18 Earth-friendly things kids can do to celebrate Earth Day every day provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Earthday Network.
1. Enlist friends, hand out bags and clean up a nearby park.
2. Plant shrubs or a tree in your yard.
3. Start a vegetable garden in pots or a small plot.
4. Organize a cleanup day at your school.
5. Create posters with environmental themes and ask teachers to post them in their classrooms.
6. Look for recycling symbols on products you or your parents buy. Purchase items in recyclable packaging whenever possible. Avoid products that use excessive packaging.
7. Encourage your parents to carry a reusable shopping bag, and suggest they buy in bulk to minimize packaging waste.
8. Bicycle or walk to school rather than being driven by your parents (as long as Mom and Dad say it’s safe).
9. Steer your parents toward organic pesticides, such as those made from orange extract.
10. Turn off lights, fans or the TV when you leave the room (unless your little brother is still in there).
11. Check your home for leaky faucets or toilets, and volunteer to help fix those in need of repair.
12. Don’t leave the water running while brushing your teeth or washing your face and hands.
13. Take shorter showers.
14. Use a broom instead of a hose to clean the driveway or sidewalk.
15. Remind your parents that washing the car less often saves water (and may get you out of the dreaded chore).
16. Ask your parents to raise (in the summer) or lower (in the winter) the thermostat a few degrees, telling them it will save energy as well as money.
17. Lower the blinds when the sun comes up, which deflects heat from the windows.
18. Offer to replace air filters. A clean filter helps the air-conditioner run more efficiently.