Happy Earth Day!

April 22nd is Earth Day.  What exactly is Earth Day, you ask?  It’s a day dedicated to environmental awareness.  Whether you use this day to reflect on the Planet, get involved with a local Earth Day event, or contemplate ways you can make eco-friendly changes to your lifestyle, awareness goes a long way.

Wondering what little thing(s) you can do here in the NEK to make Earth Day everyday?  Here are some ideas:

1.  Start recycling, if you don’t already.  Sadly, there are many folks in the NEK who don’t recycle simply because they don’t know how to or why they should recycle.  For starters, recycling can have a positive impact on the wallet.  It’s free for you (vs. in many communities paying to dispose of waste).  You can give recycling a shot by choosing one particular item to recycle–for example, cardboard boxes or milk jugs.  Take your pile to your local transfer station or recycling center.  You’ll find marked bins or containers there for your items.  It’s really a piece of cake.

2.  Skip bulky packaging.  Can’t choose between two products?  When you’re stuck, opt for the one with the least amount of packaging.  Generally, this may mean less material left for the landfill.

3.  Freecycle.  If you haven’t already joined your local freecycle chapter, what are you waiting for??  It’s free, and best of all you can give away stuff you don’t want and ask for stuff you need.

For other ideas, check out this article about things you can do to help keep Vermont green.  Oh, and remember, Green Up Day is coming up on May 7th!