KSFY News - Sioux Falls, SD News, Weather, SportsHow you can celebrate Earth Day 2011

How you can celebrate Earth Day 2011

On April 22, 1970, the first Earth Day was founded by, Gaylord Nelson, a United States Senator. The Senator wanted everyone to have a better understanding of the affect we have on our planet. The first Earth Day was attended by 20 million Americans nationwide. Millions of people started banding together in their communities to do what they could to clean up their area. Grassroots campaigns started to improve efficiencies in handling waste, recycling, and conserving energy.

The idea of celebrating Earth Day quickly caught on and now more than 140 nations around the world now have their own Earth Day. By the year 1990 over 200 million people were participating in Earth Day, making it one of the most-attended organizational activities ever created.

It's clear however that there is definitely room for improvement when it comes to caring for the planet. The Earth Day 2011 official website says the United States is one of the largest producers of trash, yet we only recycle about 31% of our waste. Recycling is a habit that we can all develop to a make positive impact on our environment every day. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 75% of what goes into U.S. landfills can be recycled.

Here's some things you can do to try to live green every day:

Contact your garbage collectors to find out what materials they can take from you and what conditions might apply.

Try to use reusable glasses and mugs instead of plastic bottles.

Use washable cloth rags or napkins instead of paper.

Reuse your shopping bags and buy in bulk.

Some things that are recyclable that you might not think of are aluminum foil and trays, empty plastic grocery bags, empty aerosol cans, and cardboard egg cartons.

Remember that reusing materials is also good for our environment. Instead of throwing out old clothes think about trying to donate them instead. Also many organizations like Habitat for Humanity accept building materials, used office furniture, plumbing and cabinet fixtures.

When it comes to taking care of our lawns there's a few things to keep in mind. Try to select species of plants that are drought tolerant. Avoid over watering and adjust your sprinklers to only water your lawn, not your sidewalk and your driveway.

A leaky toilet may go unnoticed, as will the extra cash absorbed by your water bill. To check for leaks, add enough food coloring to your toilet tank to really brighten the water. After 30 minutes, look to see if any of the dye has leaked into the bowl.

An estimated 30% of household water usage is flushed down the toilet. If your toilet is more than 30 years old, upgrading to a low-consumption toilet can save you up to 4 gallons per flush.

Use barrels to capture rain from your eaves trough and save it for the next time you have to water your garden or lawn.

If you're running the bath or shower waiting for the water to heat up, put a large bucket under to catch the water. Use this water for plants, pets, cleaning etc.

Replace ordinary light bulbs with energy saving bulbs that use a quarter of the electricity to produce the same amount of light.

The screen saver on your computer uses the same amount of power as when it's on and being used. Switch your PC off if you're going to be away for a while.

Donate your old furniture to a local furniture recycler. They'll turn your unwanted pieces into something covetable, saving it from the landfill.

If you're planning to do some spring cleaning, hold a yard sale or donate old items to a second hand shop. You'll be surprised how valuable your junk is to someone else.

Mow your lawn when it's dry, and leave the clippings lying on the grass to break down and feed the lawn underneath.

Rather than throwing away leftover wine, pour it into an ice cube tray and store in the freezer until the next time you need to cook with wine. That way you won't waste a drop!

Do you really need a hard copy? Use both sides of the paper if you do and add a 'think before you print' footer to your emails.

Buying non-perishable items in bulk is a great way of cutting down on unnecessary packaging.

Use the links on the left side of your screen for more information about living green.