When it comes to saving our planet, there’s no need to wait until spring when Earth Day or World Water Day are recognized. Making sustainable choices should be a year-round commitment, and even small efforts can lead to meaningful impact.
At the same time, we all know how hard it can be to create new habits, especially if the effort (or cost) seems to outweigh the benefits. I’m sharing a few of my favorite ways to help the environment, habits made easier when done with friends.
🍂 Compost food scraps and yard waste
Composting is a great way to reduce landfill waste and enrich soil naturally. It’s been on my radar since I noticed a local Starbucks offering their used coffee grounds to interested gardeners.
As Sara knows, I’m a big coffee drinker, so I started distributing my own coffee grinds throughout my garden a few years ago. But it wasn’t until my town started up a free composting drop off program earlier this year that I began saving my fruit and veggie scraps, coffee grounds, eggshells, and dead flowers in a small bin in the garage. I’m throwing away less garbage, and helping the town’s parks and gardens in the process.
Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.
Dr. Seuss
🌍 Reuse, recycle and donate
I’ve recycled for years but sometimes wonder if the multiple plastic containers I toss in the recycle bin each week really do end up getting a second life. When possible, I reuse those containers and have a collection of old jam jars that I use as small flower vases.
And while reusable shopping bags have been around for decades, it helps to keep a few favorites in your car, making the habit to use them effortless. I’ve begun to think of my two go-to bags as accessories, like I would a favorite scarf. One bag was gifted to me by a colleague based overseas, as the unique design was created to promote our company’s line of women’s health products sold around the world. And my favorite bag is from Sara, as she spotted a brightly colored shopping bag during her visit to Germany early last year that happened to have my name printed on it.
When possible, I try to donate clothes or other household items instead of tossing them. And many places that resell donated goods use their proceeds to help others in need. I’ve long been a fan of Goodwill’s work training programs and often donate to a local organization, Wings, that works to break the cycle of domestic violence.
🚶♀️ Opt for greener choices when you can
I first became aware of greener transportation options when living in Germany after college, and I really had no other option. I would walk, bike, and use public transit to get everywhere. My next move to New York City further reinforced these habits. I still bike when I can, weather permitting here in the Midwest. And last fall when I was in the market for a new car, I looked at hybrid cars and ultimately bought a Hyundai electric vehicle
Since I married a gardener, he’s taught me the importance of planting native species as they help animal and insect species thrive, which is good for the overall ecosystem. And opting to buy local or seasonal produce can cut down on transportation emissions in the supply chain.
Protecting our environment thrives on action and everyday choices. When sustainability becomes a part of our daily routines, ideally shared with friends, small actions can have real impact.
Language of Friendship 
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