Happy Earth Day!

The world looks a little different this year, but sometimes that is a good thing. Like last year, there aren’t any big community cleanups planned around Southwestern Ontario, but that does not mean that we can’t do our part of take care of our environment. Now more than ever, it is time for all of us to step up and take personal responsibility for our place in the world. You can and need to make a difference. Every action counts.

Ways to Celebrate the Earth Every Day

Start Small:

• Clean up your yard
• Clear out your garage
• Purge and declutter your home
• Invest in reusables in your home, like insulated travel mugs, reusable shopping and produce bags, ditch plastic wrap for beeswax wraps, reach for dishcloths over paper towels, store leftovers in glass containers versus plastic, and opt for silicone/metal straws over single-use
• Purchase products that have smaller eco-footprints, like shampoo bars, bamboo toothbrushes, package-free washing and cleaning detergents, or make your own!

Take Bigger Steps:

• Improve the energy efficiency of your home with increased insulation, new windows, furnace, water heater, air conditioner, or more energy efficient appliances
• Consider more energy efficient modes of transportation, like public transit, bicycles, walking, or more fuel efficient vehicles
• Clean up your neighbourhood or larger community
• Support restaurants that use recyclable takeout containers
• Buy from businesses that have eco-conscious visions, mandates, and actions. Thames Region Ecological Association (TREA) has a Green Directory listing local companies with environmentally friendly products and services available in the London area

Go Beyond:

• Join organizations taking steps to improve the health of our planet. There are plenty of organizations from local, grass-level startups, to mid-size and large non-profits that can always use your monetary support, as well as your in-person volunteer efforts.
• Write letters supporting eco-friendly initiatives and bills to your municipal, provincial, and federal levels of government and ask them to do more to protect our environment with concrete actions
• Teach your children how to be eco-friendly, how to shop eco-wise, and how to appreciate all the Earth offers and does for us. If we instill good habits in youth, they grow up to make better choices naturally for the planet. Our children are our future.

Load of Rubbish cares about our environment just as much as you do. That’s why we do our part to reduce waste in our business practice. It is also why we have some of the biggest trucks on the road, which help reduce the number of trips we make. And why we donate and recycle over 80% of what we collect. It’s our planet too and making a difference lies in everyone’s hands. Time to take Earth Day Actions that mean something more!