Today marks the 40th anniversary of Earth Day and even if you haven’t previously given much thought to Earth Day, it’s never too late to start.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not preaching, quite the opposite, in fact. I, too, suffer sometimes from green fatigue and wonder whether the re-using, composting, and recycling that my family does makes a lick of difference. As mom to human and canine kids, I realize that my efforts are for them — to ensure that they (and future generations) reap the benefits of my efforts, no matter how small.
Earth Day is a good time to think about the carbon paw print we leave and what can be done to minimize it, and here are a few small and easy ways to make a difference:
- Compost! In San Francisco, composting is mandatory, but this is certainly not the norm. In fact, most urbanites don’t even consider it a possibility. Search around and you will find quite frequently, cities offer composting programs where they help you set up a compost in your yard, or, it’s actually quite simple to create a compost under the sink (here’s one example of an indoor compost bin: http://one-change.com/blog/2006/04/indoor-compost-bin). Just try it for a week, and you will be surprised by the sheer reduction in volume of your garbage. Less garbage = less effort to process the garbage = less landfill and so on and so forth.
- Recycle & Re-Use. Aside from the traditional efforts of separating your recyclables from your trash, re-use bags. Take your own grocery bags to shop, and save and re-use bags that you get from grocery stores if you forget to bring your own. Find creative ways to utilize boxes, jars, containers that you would otherwise recycle. Instead of tossing them, use old, outdated clothing and fabric scraps to stuff a throw pillow / dog bed. Be creative!
- Minimize your Carbon Footprint! Not everyone can afford to buy a hybrid car or install solar panels, but there is still quite a bit you can do to reduce your carbon footprint. Use compact florescent light bulbs – this is a simple change which costs very little and will save lots of energy (think lower energy bills as a perk!). Remember to turn off your lights and turn down the thermostat when you are not home. Use dishwater to water your plants. Walk, bike or take public transportation if you can. Buy locally produced, in season, goods and services — the transport alone for items made far away creates thousands of pounds of carbon. Only use your dryer, dishwasher and washing machine when you have a full load.
- Use Bio-degradable bags! When cleaning up after your pup, always use bio-degradable bags! This minimizes the millions of plastic bags populating landfills in the World. Use bio-degradable bags whenever you think to use plastic bags.
- Buy high quality and natural pet food. Investing in a high quality food that doesn’t use meat by-products will reduce the amount of waste created by your pet. The higher quality food will be absorbed and used by your pet, while lower quality food goes straight through their systems. Higher quality and organic foods are not only better for your pet’s health but also better for the environment. If you are more ambitious, make your own pet food! There are many recipes online for creating nutritionally balanced meals for your pet.
- Skip the packaging. As much as we are all drawn to those beautifully packaged goods, whether accessories or food items, realize that packaging is simply more waste, as well as more energy wasted creating the packaging. Before you buy that heavily processed, but beautifully packaged treat, think about it. Your dog can live without the packaging, and you can too.
Blueblood is also doing our part to minimize our footprint. We do our best to use local goods and local manufacturers so we can reduce the amount of shipping and transport. We are working on reducing packaging for our products — in fact — our next product will not include any packaging/hang tag. We are constantly exploring ways to create products that are multi-use and reusable.
Every little bit counts when we are talking about the future of our world, plant and animals, and no matter how seemingly small my individual efforts, I realize that it’s each individual’s efforts that adds up to the collective and that makes the true difference.
Happy Earth Day!
Tina
