Your Sustainable Living Guide in Nine Easy Steps
April is Earth Month! (It’s kind of like Christmas at Zipcar.) And it’s a great time for each of us to reaffirm our commitment to living more sustainably. By using resources wisely and doing more with less, you can be part of the solution, without putting a crimp in your busy life. These 9 stories feature ways the world is moving toward sustainability – and what you can do to speed the progress.
Help a farmer, and keep your recipes interesting, by participating in a farm share.
1) Get your veggies straight from the farm.
One of the easiest, and tastiest, ways to go green is to cut out the middle man. Support local farms by signing up for a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). Go in with a neighbor and split a crop of fresh fruit and veg every month.
Schools like Loyola’s Institute of Environmental Sustainability are ushering in a new era of environmental studies.
2) Learn from these campuses that think outside the quad.
Universities are in a great position to educate a whole generation about how to live more sustainably. With “clean” food in the cafeteria, solar panels on the roof, and electric cars in the parking lot, these schools can teach us all a thing or two about carbon neutrality.
Look ma, no hands! Driverless cars are just one of the crazy transportation innovations that just might work.
3) Drive the future with smarter transportation.
From engineless to driverless, the climate-conscious car is having a moment. Of course, it’s going to be some time before everyone and their mom has one, but these futuristic vehicles may come sooner than you think.
Tips like how to make your own cleaning supplies can help city living be less toxic.
4) Live clean, even in the dirty city.
You can’t stop that delivery truck from idling endlessly on your corner, but you can unplug those devices you’re not using, eat in cafés that compost, or take bike sharing for a spin. Check out these ways that you can live green, even in the shadow of a skyscraper.
Go ahead. Put your feet up on my coffee table. It used to be a shipping palette.
5) Reuse, Reduce, Upcycle.
One of the coolest new trends in eco-conscious style is upcycling. This nifty practice of turning trash into treasure leads to things like a messenger bag made of old bike tires, and guitars made from deconstructed walls and floors. That’s pretty eco-cool.
Earth Day is the second most popular day for making eco-friendly resolutions. (Probably.)
6) Reaffirm your green resolution.
If you started off 2016 with a pledge to put the planet first, now is a good time to re-up your commitment. Follow the habits in this quick-hit list, and you’ll be all set.
Zero Waste Living: Cloth grocery bags are just the beginning.
7) Paper, plastic, or Mason jar?
When we found out that Bea Johnson fit an entire year’s worth of garbage into a single Mason jar, we were more than intrigued. Get the scoop on her zero-waste home for yourself.
The best way to teach your kids about environmental responsibility? Model it from the get go.
8) Teach your city kids to be good environmental citizens.
Modeling environmentally-responsible behaviors for your children is the best way to get the next generation off on the right foot. Teach those future grown ups that walking is often the best way to go, public transit is your friend, and it’s better to give away than to throw away.
Environmentally conscious picnic, anyone?
9) Throw a planet-positive picnic.
Now that you’ve done your part for a greener planet, it’s time to go out and enjoy it. Pack your homemade bug spray, biodegradable cooler, and this easy reference guide. A little research up front can make living sustainably a picnic in the park.
