Reduce, Reuse and Recycle to celebrate #Earthday
I have to admit to not giving much consideration to Earth Day in the past. It was on my radar, but I never gave much time to pondering the implications. Even after reading Tom Freidman’s Hot, Flat and Crowded I cared, but was unconvinced of how anything I might do would make an impact. It was not until I met Shannon Buckley-Shaklee that I started to see the value of celebrating Earth Day. Shannon is a woman of conviction. She does not impose her beliefs on others, instead she leads by example and educates through positive action.
Picking up trash, drinking water out of refillable containers, supporting designers who use sustainable materials, shopping local and eating clean are all small steps she takes every day to be good to our planet. Every year she makes a point of celebrating Earth Day as though it was a birthday. Shannon has made me realize I don’t have to start a revolution to help save the world. Here is a short list of things I intend to do regularly to celebrate Earth Day all year long.
- Reduce - SHARE MORE - for starters I plan on up-cycling that back log of gently used jars I have stuffed into a cupboard (My Mum will be thrilled). I will be making arrangements from from the herbs that are running wild in our yard and using the jars as vases. For years I have resorted to cutting everything back and throwing all the clippings into a compost heap. I have to do this many times a year and I always feel I am wasting something precious. I have decided to start making and giving bouquets to my friends and acquaintances, just because. We all need an unexpected gift every now and then.
- Reuse - MAKE MORE SANDWICHES - I realize this seems a but random, but bare with me. The sandwich is a far too under appreciated medium in my kitchen. A recent trip to the Middle Kingdom has given me food for thought on reusing leftovers. A restaurant I frequent had the most amazing steamed buns which you could order to go. Salad greens, mixed veggies, the remainder of a main course, potatoes, beans and perhaps the odd egg were all sautéed to savory splendor and used as fillings. The creations were terrific and diverse options for meals on the go. I am going to take their idea and incorporate the various breads that always seems to be waiting for a use in our bread box. This innovation, will make simple yet delicious meals morning, noon and nights during the week, when I am always short on both steam and creativity. And then there is the whole list of projects on our Pinterest repurpose board.
- Recycle - DRINK MORE WINE - In my humble opinion, this is a Win/Win situation. Parade magazine had a great idea for making the most of wine corks. Send them to recork.org where they will be re-purposed for applications that are alternatives to petroleum based components, such as soles for shoes. This article doesn't end with corks, there is a list of ways to recycle items we throw away every day. Think pet fur and greeting cards!
I will wait to celebrate this special day on the weekend with some new friends. Here's what I plan on serving:
Photo Credit: Julie Cecchini