One Day Late Earth Day Info

I didn't get this done yesterday because we decided to go to Target to get our registry started there and then we went to pick up our little foster kitty who was neutered yesterday. Really, I should have made the time, but I'm just so excited, now that we know we are having a boy we can start really getting ready!

So, here are some of my fun facts for you:

• Biodegradable products are not really biodegradable in a landfill due to the lack of dirt, oxygen, and the little microbes needed to break stuff down.
• Glass bottles take longer to break down in a landfill than plastic bottles.
• Recycling aluminum cans takes less energy than producing new ones from scratch.
• 14 billion pounds of trash are dumped into the ocean every year (we have all heard of those giant garbage floats, haven't we).
• 84% of household trash can be recycled.
• At my school, if every student uses one tray, fork, knife, and cup each day and then puts them in the trash, we will produce 60 pounds of waste each week. This does not include food, paper, or any snacks that the kids bring.

Some of the things we do in my home:

• Buy recycled whenever possible.
• Stay away from individually packaged snacks as much as possible.
• Avoid disposable products as much as possible (yes, this includes our baby registry; my stepmom thinks I'm nuts for wanting to use cloth diapers).
• Use powerstrips for electronics that can then be turned off.
• Recycle as much as we can and I love the fact that our trash service picks it all up in one container.
  
• I reuse boxes and packaging for shipping purposes.
  

This is a short list, but it is just a few ideas. What do you do at your house to help make every day Earth Day?