Beeing Bee

The earth is a beautiful place to live. We must protect, nurture and respect her. Scientists have determined that Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Refresh are essential during the Anthropocene. Carbon footprints can be detrimental to various ecosystems on earth. This article invites you to engage in the following efforts for our planet’s survival

Reduce :

• Water Usage
  • Notice how you use water. How much of it is going down the drain? Do you stop the faucet while performing other tasks?
    • Challenge: Can you successfully shower with 16.9 fluid ounces of water? (Typical U.S. bottle of water) 
• Food waste
  • Reflect on the groceries you buy. Do you finish the items before you go shopping again? Do you over consume leading to spoilage? Is the food’s packaging recyclable?
    • Challenge: Buy enough food for 2-5 days. Look for products in multi use containers. Finish what you’ve purchased before shopping again. 
• Clothes and fabric material waste
  • Do you find yourself engaging in fast fashion? If so, how often ? Do you donate or resell your fabric material?
    • Challenge: Complete your next shopping spree at a thrift shop. Donate a bag of clothes you no longer need. 
• Electronic waste
  • Do you have old phones, computers, chargers and gadgets you no longer need? Are they piling up in your house? Are they piling up in nearby or foreign landfills? 
  • Challenge: Find an electronic recycling center near you. Market your items on Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace. Your waste may be someone else’s treasure ! 
  • Challenge: Purchase refurbished electronics. Keep electronics until they no longer work. 
• Reuse:
  •  Plastics

– Bags, food containers, cosmetic containers, cleaning products, and beverage packaging often can be cleaned and reused! 

Challenge: Clean & reuse a plastic item from the list above.

• Creative Transformation 

-Produce, rainwater, and snow can all be transformed into creative sustainable products. 

 Challenge: Use fruit rinds to create teas, home and body cleansers.

Challenge: Collect rainwater and/or snow to use for your garden, animals or household. 

Challenge: Cultivate a compost garden from leftover food material. 

Recycle:

-Paper

– Plastics

-Aluminum

-Glass 

-Wood

-Cardboard

-Polyethylene (pool noodle/packaging material)

Challenge: Separate these common recyclables from any other waste you may have. Use your city provided recycling bin or create your own. Research nearby recycling centers that can collect your recyclables. 

Refresh: 

–Pollutant Removal 

–Challenge: Remove the visible waste from land and water. Sort them for sustainable processing. 

–Pollutant Reduction 

–Challenge: Prioritize walking, biking, and shared transportation over excessive driving. 

–Challenge: Limit your consumption from companies that gravely contribute to air pollution. (Ex: Industrial Facilities, Power Plants, Industrial Agriculture)

–Renewable Energy 

Challenge: Opt-in to your local green-energy program. 

Challenge: Invest in renewable energy companies & research. 

Challenge: Create and/or install your own renewable energy systems. 

Ex: Solar, Windmills, Hydropower 

–Plant

Challenge: Plant trees. Grow produce. Harvest goods. 

The invitation to care for our earth extends to everyone. We make the greatest impact through collective action. This article is an introduction to the many ways we can nurture our planet. 

Cheers!

Beeing Bee