Seven Strategies for Reducing Your Eco Footprint

In the springtime we have Earth Hour (March 22nd), Earth Month (April), and Earth Day (April 22nd). Surprisingly, Earth Day is one of the most widely acknowledged civic days in the world, with over a billion participants! But I know that leaves you wondering, how exactly do we acknowledge these events? Today, I’ll share seven simple strategies to consider for reducing your eco footprint this spring.

First, I encourage you to do your own research and reflections. There are so many eco footprint calculators online you can check out, which can show you some of the activities and habits you have that you might not realize have a footprint! Just simply learning and reflecting can help you reconsider your lifestyle and make some positive shifts.

Starting in the kitchen allows for many simple and impactful strategies for reducing your footprint, including these three tips. For those who don’t live in a compost pick-up location, start saving your food scraps for the garden! Everything except meat and dairy can go in the compost and over time can create a rich nutrient pile to add to your soil! When shopping, you’ll start seeing more fresh food options with the warmer season, so reach for these options instead of items wrapped in plastic. The extra benefit here is that these foods tend to be healthier than packaged items. And lastly, make the shift toward reusable items like cloth towels instead of napkins. Not only will using cloth napkins help you reduce waste, but it’s also a great way to save money! Stop buying paper towels monthly, and instead just throw on a load of laundry once a week.

As we shift into sunnier weather, there are a few more household eco tips to keep in mind. On nice days, hang dry your laundry outside to save energy! Maybe as you plan your garden for the year, you include some drought resistant plants, like succulents and lavender to colour your garden. And in preparation for drought season, TheDrivewayCompany.com suggests that other than during spring cleaning, driveways don’t need to be washed more than once a year.

I know it can feel pointless to make these little personal changes when big corporations have such a huge impact, but taking things into your own hands can really help to relieve the stress that climate change has on the mind. I’ve found this personally as I’ve planted trees using a fraction of money from my book sales and yoga business, and notice slight relief for doing something instead of nothing. So, this leads to my last tip for you: Support businesses that are eco-conscious! Nearby, the Chemainus Health Food Store and Ladysmith Health Food Store both have dozens of eco lifestyle options for you to check out! If you’re into yoga, you can find comfort in coming to my classes, knowing I plant a tree for each class I teach!

All these small actions really help out if we all work together! This year, let’s not ignore Earth Month, and try to implement some of these habits all year long!

Did you enjoy this post? Then you might also enjoy my upcoming wellness booklet Living with the Season: Summer Wellness. If you aren't already, I encourage you to sign up for my newsletter on both this website, and authorbrittanyleonard.com to stay up to date with all book publishing updates!