Make an Earth Day Resolution

The Quasi-Enviromentalist
by Caroline
Blogging at Real Working Mom

I started thinking about this blog posting a few days ago. I started to list out the different things I do to be a little greener. And it all sounded so self righteous.

So I thought I'd begin by talking about the things I could do better, because I think that's what Earth Day is all about, instead of celebrating the things we are doing, is really to take a moment and focus on the things we could be doing that we aren't. Pondering this question was the final motivation to get off my tush and order reusable grocery bags. Did you know the average American throws away 1000 plastic bags a year? That's crazy!

My biggest environmental regret is probably not cloth diapering my children. I think, as mothers, it is a serious contribution we can make, and I often think that it was an opportunity I missed to hug the planet a little. I think for working mothers it is much harder, because you have to get your childcare provider on board with it, and I never had the guts to ask. I didn't really know much about it when my kids were infants, but from the things I've read it has become really quite easy to do, and some of those diapers are very, very cute!

So my Earth Day Confessions...er...Resolutions are as follows:

1. I will be better about my recycling. We have single stream recycling here, which means that all recyling goes in one bin. I should work harder to make sure nothing else ends up in there. I also fully intend to find a way to make even a small contribution, monetary or otherwise, towards organizations that are trying to bring the awesome recycling plans of California nationwide.
   
2. I will cut my paper plate usage by 50% this year. While we do recycle them, I DO have perfectly good dishes in the cabinets.
   
3. I will finish swapping out our lightbulbs for high efficiency ones.

With those small commitments, I hope to continue reducing the footprint our family is leaving on the planet. Some of it is easy, some of it is more of a struggle.

What is your Earth Day Resolution for this upcoming year? Share it with us by leaving a comment.

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