Two days from now millions in the U.S. and worldwide will be celebrating Valentine’s Day, a holiday marked by LOVE…love of spouse, love of friends, love of pets, love of neighbors, love, love, and more love. Although typically celebrated for romantic love, we encourage each of you, our readers, to add an extra recipient of your love this holiday. When thinking of ways you can love others on February 14th, think also of ways you can love our planet. Here are 4 ideas to get you started…

 

1. Love the Earth by Educating Yourself

The first step of loving the Earth is in knowing how to show that love. Knowing ways to take care of our planet and use its resources wisely is a big way to show your love. By educating yourself about the world and pollution and trash, you can know how to do your part in making it cleaner.

 

“In a lifetime, the average American will leave a legacy of 90,000 pounds of trash for future generations.”

 

Leaving that kind of legacy is not a legacy of love and by starting now, you can change that legacy.  Another way to educate yourself is to study how other countries handle waste differently than the U.S.

 

“Americans make up roughly 5% of the world’s population, but generate nearly 40% of the world’s total waste.”

 

As the focus on climate and environmentalism grows, new businesses are popping up that face the problem of waste head on by finding creative ways to recycle other’s waste. By learning more about what can and should be recycled, and other creative ways of offsetting your waste output, such as composting, you can begin to make a difference in your own corner of the planet.

 

2. Love the Earth by Spreading Awareness

Who in your own area of interaction can you share this new knowledge with? Is there a neighbor you have seen place plastic bags in their recycling? Is there a friend you know who composts that can get you started and teach you how so that you can then teach others? Do you know of a business owner that would be willing to host a textile recycling bin in your neighborhood? Are there coworkers you see that bring plastic bottles to work instead of reusable, and then throw those away? Does your office offer recycling cans next to its trash cans?

 

If the most basic way of loving the Earth is gaining knowledge in how to love it better, the second is to spread that new knowledge by spreading awareness about the importance of taking care of our planet. You can do that in your day to day interactions with people you have relationships with or even strangers you meet along the way. Using kind words, you can help show the Earth some love by inspiring others to also love the Earth better. Spreading awareness also spreads and widens the effects of change making a larger and larger impact in your corner of the world.

 

3. Love the Earth by Recycling Textiles

“The EPA says that current textile recycling, including clothing, has a greater impact on reducing greenhouse gases than the recycling of plastic, yard waste and glass. The weight of recycled textiles in 2014 (2.6 million tons) was equal to taking 1.3 million cars off the road.” Read more here.

 

By changing your approach to old clothes, towels, linens, etc, you can make a large difference in the contribution of greenhouse gases.  By using this knowledge, and spreading this knowledge, together we can make a huge impact on the future of our planet. 

If you know of any businesses in your area that would be willing to host a bin or know of a large need for a bin in your neighborhood, please contact us. We would love to help you spread awareness by placing a visual reminder and receptacle to simplify the process of recycling textiles.

 

4. Love the Earth by Getting Out in Nature

This last way to love the Earth can look different to each person. For some, it might be collecting trash along the shores of Lake Michigan, or in your very own neighborhood. For others, it might be volunteering at your local nature or forest preserve, spreading mulch, planting trees and again cleaning up trash, or any other projects they may need help with.

 

Another way you could help is by planting wildflowers to promote bee life in your area, or create a butterfly habitat by planting the right kind of flowers in your yard.  Each creature is vital to our planet and many are endangered. By creating habitats where they can thrive, you are helping to further their existence and continue their very important roles in nature.

 

Also, simply getting out in nature, taking walks and appreciating the vast array of trees and plants, flowers, animals and insects can help us appreciate nature more and better love the planet we live on.

 

How Will You Love the Earth Today?

Loving our planet need not involve grand gestures and completely changing your life. By changing small things in your day to day and sharing these changes you’ve made with others around you, each person can make a difference toward a cleaner and more healthy world. Instead of buying flowers this Valentines Day, maybe we can start some of these small changes by planting flowers instead, and watch your love of Earth bloom over the months and years ahead.

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