Our motto: Treat every day like Earth Day!
Just like you shouldn’t wait for Valentine’s Day to show love to your friends and family, you don’t need to wait until April 22 to show the earth how much you care. Since this lovely planet is the only home we’ve got, let’s do one or two simple things each day to yield greener, more sustainable lives.
You know the basics, so let’s start there!
Know your Rs
You’ve heard of the three Rs—reduce, reuse, recycle. At Young Living, we take our stewardship of the earth so seriously that our YL Green Team is following the updated five Rs.
- Refuse: This one is as easy as saying no. Bottled water, to-go cups, plastic cutlery, single-use straws, plastic bags—all of these everyday items have eco-friendly replacements that are reusable—and bonus, will help you save money!
- Reduce: Cut down on waste where you can. Everything mentioned in the refuse section above falls in this category, along with many, many items listed below.
- Reuse: Get the most out of something before you throw it away. Forgot your reusable totes for grocery shopping at home? Don’t fret, just use the plastic bags you brought home to scoop up the dog poop, line bathroom trash cans, or store dirty gym clothes or wet swimsuits.
- Recycle: Probably the R that is the easiest to remember, but a little trickier to execute. Check your local guidelines to ensure you’re recycling properly.
- Rot: No need to send extra food to the trash or down the disposal. Compost instead! The best part? While reducing food waste, that compost goes back into the earth to create rich, nutrient-dense soil that makes the earth feel #blessed.
Set up a sustainable home
Looking to go beyond recycling aluminum cans and carrying around a reusable water bottle? Here are 13 tips to take sustainable living to the next level.
1. Adjust your apparel: Repair holes and tears as much as possible instead of buying new clothes. With a quick search, you’ll find countless sewing videos online to learn how to darn socks or patch pants.
2. Practice meatless Mondays: You can go meatless on Monday or any day of the week! For just one in seven days, reduce meat and dairy. Without these on your plate, you can get creative in the kitchen with recipes like Spiced Thai Mango Soup or Vegan Stuffed Acorn Squash.
3. Try a bathroom bidet: No need to add toilet paper to your must-have grocery list anymore!
4. Convert to cloth: While having family dinner, eating lunch at home, or wiping down counter tops, grab reusable, totally washable napkins.
5. Hold on to old t-shirts: Make your own zero-waste facial tissues. Cut a few soft t-shirts into squares and store in a clean mason jar. Get a separate jar, designated for dirty tissues, and then throw in the wash when full.
6. Use empty essential oil bottles: Brighten your home with a tiny bud vase or make a DIY serum. Find 19 more ways to get the most out of those little amber bottles!
7. Turn off the tap: When washing your hands, make sure to turn off the water. Wet your hands, turn off the tap, lather with soap for 20 seconds, and turn back on to rinse.
8. Dry with wool dryer balls: Instead of always buying one-time-use dryer sheets, dab essential oils onto dryer balls, and once the oil is dry, they’re ready to infuse your clothes with super-clean scents. May we suggest Thieves® or Purification®?
9. Go green while you clean: Make your own at-home cleaning products in spray bottles, use washcloths instead of wipes, and dry with towels instead of paper towels.
10. Don’t put up with power losses: Think about everything in your house that is plugged in even when not in use: phone chargers, diffusers, and other appliances. Practice only plugging in when in use!
11. Remember reusable totes: You’ve probably mastered taking them to the grocery store, but up their use by taking them along to the craft store, the hardware store, the pharmacy, and the library.
12. Wash clothes and wind dry: When the sun is shining, try washing your clothes in cold water and then hanging them out to dry on a clothesline. You’ll be an energy-saving star in no time, and your clothes smell divine when they’re wind-blown dry.
13. Clean with concentrated cleaners: Instead of buying a whole new bottle of cleaning solution every time you run out, make it last with concentrated formulas like Thieves® Household Cleaner.
Are you now wishing Earth Day could be every day? Bring the outdoors inside with diffuser blends inspired by national forests and get the most out of your oils.
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