Make Every Day Earth Day

Making an effort to help save Mother Earth is a great way to get involved, but it shouldn’t only be the focus one day a year. The need for environmentally conscious behavior is ever-present. The United States Environmental Protection Agency estimates that each individual generates approximately 1.5 tons of waste per year — that breaks down to 4.5 pounds per person, per day! This means that one individual making the decision to be more environmentally conscious can have a huge impact.

Incorporating eco-friendly habits into everyday routines 365 days a year can be a cinch — from installing compact fluorescent light bulbs, switching to all-natural cleaning products or organizing a neighborhood park clean-up event.

“Little changes can have big results,” says Matthew Sheehan, a Brooklyn, N.Y. resident who rallied his local school to compost 100 percent of the school’s food waste, and in turn, use the compost to grow food in the existing schoolyard garden.

“I found online that Green Works, those natural cleaners from Clorox, was sponsoring a contest where I could win a grant to fund the project,” says Sheehan. “When I found out I won $10,000, I was so excited to activate my community and get started making a difference. We are going to build four large-scale vermiculture compost systems in which to house 80 pounds of red wiggler worms, who will compost the school’s food waste.”

Here are four simple hints for finding a network to help you develop your own green project, no matter the size.

1. Find something you are passionate about improving in your community. Chances are, others share the same goal and will be eager to get involved. If you’re into biking, for example, raise money to start a bike rental program in your community to cut down on air pollution from car exhaust. If cooking is more your thing, start an organic community vegetable garden and reap the benefits of always having fresh, inexpensive produce.
2. Invite neighbors to an eco-friendly barbecue to brainstorm ideas on how to make positive changes around you and find a cause you are all passionate about.
3. Reach out to teachers and counselors in your area to help spread the word to parents and get entire families involved in your efforts.
4. Got a big green idea, but need the “green”? Look for organizations and companies that are helping make a difference by offering funding to small, local projects. Green Works’ Green Heroes program awarded five $10,000 grants to eco-friendly community projects submitted by earth-minded individuals. For more information about the program and winners, visit www.greenworkscleaners.com/greenhero.