Celebrate Earth Day With These Practices at Home and at Work

Editor's note: This is the first in a series of articles to help all of us become better stewards of the earth, in honor of Earth Day. The next article will feature ideas for kids, followed by how you can help the planet while at play and in the car.

In celebration of Earth Day this week, here are some eco-friendly ways to give back to Mother Nature at home and at work. 

AT HOME

Give your green thumb a workout: Grow something. Indoor plants can act as filters for the air you breathe. Grow a plant outside and reap nutritional and environmental benefits.

Say 'No' to junk mail: Pay a $1 fee for five years to the Direct Marketing Association and sign their “Delete” list. Getting rid of mail you would otherwise throw in the trash without opening saves paper and, in turn, helps the environment.

Eat fewer processed foods: Most of these types of foods are made available at high costs to the environment. They're often full of preservatives such as sodium, MSG, fructose and sucrose. Skip on the bad ingredients and extra packaging and go with raw versions at your local farmers market.

Start composting: Reducing your waste will keep organic material out of landfills (which then requires oil for disposal) and provide you with rich soil when you garden.

Buy durable, rather than disposable, items with strong warranties: Buying longer lasting, locally made products helps stimulate the U.S. economy and breaks the oil-addicted global production system that cheap international products support. Many cheaper brand products are designed for obsolescence, and are meant to break down after a limited time. This forces consumers into a product-dependent behavior cycle.

Use natural cleaners and pest controls: Use natural alternatives to keep unnecessary toxins out of your home. And they do just as good of a job.

AT WORK

Go paperless with your mail: Instead of snail mail, e-mail things you want to send out. Also, scan and send, rather than mail or fax. Print only things that are necessary.

Ditch sticky notes for the notes function on your phone: Most smartphones come equipped with a notes app so you can jot things down on the fly. As long as you have your phone, you won't find yourself forgetting what to get from the grocery store. 

Pay bills online: This is often more convenient than paying bills by mail and you'll save on paper that would be needed to send bills every month. This might also be a great way to avoid any late fees.

Set timers on office equipment: Shut down equipment after business hours to save energy. Some equipment will have timers for more energy-efficient use.

Be mindful of the kind of lunch you're eating: Think of the packaging as well. How much trash results from your lunch? Do you recycle or reuse materials used to package your lunch? Millions of plastic snack and sandwich bags are produced every year and most are thrown away.

Editor's Note: The City of Manhattan Beach and Transition South Bay are offering two free screenings of the award-winning plastic bag documentary, "Bag It." The film discusses marine debris and why reducing plastic pollution is a good idea.

There are two screenings. The second one is a full-length showing. Screenings will be held on Friday, April 22 (Earth Day) from 3:30 – 4:30 p.m. in City Council Chambers at 1400 Highland Avenue and from 6 - 8 p.m. in the Police/Fire Conference Room at 420 15th Street. Both buildings are in the city hall complex across the parking lot from each other.

Reserve seats by e-mailing transitionsouthbayla@gmail.com.