Easy ways to be earth friendly

Since Earth Day is this week, let’s all take a pause to reflect on steps we can take to be more mindful of our Mother Earth. If each of us make changes to benefit our environment, even if it seems like a small action, make it into a habit, and each person’s change adds up to make a difference. We share this planet that we call home, and it’s about time to treat it better if we want to continue to live here. There is no planet B, after all. Here is a list of a few easy ways to honor Earth Day and help protect our environment.

Reusable Grocery Bags
There are lots of ways to make more environmentally friendly choices. Make a point to bring in your own reusable shopping and produce bags when you take a trip to the grocery store to reduce the amount of plastic bags you use. Grocery stores will often use two plastic bags when you purchase things that come in glass jars, but if you have a reusable wine bag (the kind with the dividers in it), you can use it to bag other things at the store, like pasta sauce and salsa for example.

Choose Sustainably Sourced Products
On a daily basis, we use products without thinking about how it was made. Try making a conscious effort to choose products that are sustainably sourced. What does that mean? The steps it takes to make a product can have lasting effects on the environment, leaving it bereft and depleted. At reHEMP, our small batch CBD and hemp oil is sourced from a family run farm in Denmark which practices sustainable, non-GMO and pesticide-free farming.

Upcycle
When you’re done with jars (from jelly, pickles, etc), instead of throwing them out, give them new life by upcycling them instead. Remove the labels and wash the jars thoroughly, and they work great to store things like makeup brushes, cotton swabs, flowers, dry foods like rice and oats, etc. The possibilities are endless! Each time you do this, it’s one less thing going to the landfill.

Nix Disposable Water Bottles
If you live somewhere with potable water, skip the disposable water bottle habit and opt for a reusable water bottle (or simply a glass of water) instead to help reduce the amount of plastic that end up in our landfills, rivers and oceans. There are plenty of reusable water bottle options available at the store and online, you’ll have no trouble finding one in a size you prefer, and chances are you can even find a cute one or order one personalized to make it a little more fun too.

Shop Local
Shopping at your local farmer’s market or mom-and-pop store instead of buying everything from big chain stores helps the environment by picking items that took less energy and gas to get to the store in the first place. Not only does this help reduce your carbon footprint, as an added bonus, shopping small helps to stimulate your local economy. Many local farms have co-op options to have local farm-fresh fruits and vegetables delivered right to your door. This is a great option for shopping local, and you’ll get to try a variety of locally grown foods that may be new to you. If you receive items in your co-op share that you’re not familiar with, look up fun new recipes to try with it. You might be surprised to find some new favorites this way and enjoy the process of learning new things in the kitchen too.

Grow Your Own Food
Speaking of buying your produce local, better yet, try your hand at gardening a few things yourself to take it to the next level. Even if you have limited space or no yard, many things can be grown in pots and get their sunlight on the patio or windowsill. If you are new to gardening, try a few easy things to start out. You can buy small potted plants and go from there. Kitchen herbs like mint, rosemary and basil are easy to maintain for beginners. Be careful if you plant mint in a garden though, as it can quickly take over a garden and be hard to keep from spreading (better off to grow it in a container). When you cook with ingredients from your garden, you’ll enjoy how much fresher the dish tastes. These herbs are not only delicious in savory dishes, but they can also be used to make infused cocktails too. Add a couple of sprigs of fresh rosemary when you make simple syrup for your next happy hour with friends! The botanical notes go great with a freshly muddled mixed drink.

On that note, let’s say cheers to Earth Day, and we hope you found some new ideas to try to make environmentally friendly choices. To celebrate, we are offering 22% off anything on the website with code EARTHDAY22. Coupon code good through April 30, 2022. Shop now at rehempit.com.