This Earth Month, we asked sustainability experts and activists about small changes that add up to a healthier home and happier planet. From simple swaps to subtle shifts, here’s how to create daily habits at home that treat every day like Earth Day.
Harvest from home
Food waste is the #1 material in U.S. landfills. From abandoned leftovers to trashed takeout containers, the kitchen is where waste can really pile up—and where small changes make a big impact.
Zooey Deschanel and Jacob Pechenik founded Lettuce Grow to help curb waste and champion fresh, unprocessed eating. The Farmstand is a self-watering, self-fertilizing, grow-it-yourself garden sized to fit any outdoor space. Plus, for every 10 sold, Lettuce Grow donates one to a school.
“Growing food at home fills me with pride and gives me access to freshly picked produce anytime I want it.”
—Zooey Deschanel, actress and @lettucegrow co-founder
On the menu
Try this at home:
Start with an audit.
“What salsa jars, Tupperware or mason jars can you repurpose?” asks environmentalist Leah Thomas. “Hang on to those for as long as possible to divert from landfill.”
Compost.
“Make a small compost bin for your yard, fire escape or front porch,” says sustainability advocate Dominque Drakeford. “Composting fruit peels, veggie scraps, eggshells and coffee grounds helps minimize food waste significantly.”
Embrace the softer side.
Replace single-use paper towels and napkins with their washable cloth counterpart in linen or organic cotton.
Sustainability never looked so good
Dominique Drakeford is all about educating others to live more sustainably every day—and doing so in style. She’s co-founder of Sustainable Brooklyn, a grassroots movement that engages the community through education and experiences in food, fashion and wellness while amplifying BIPOC voices.
Get better z’s knowing your bedding makes a difference. Flax seeds require very little water to grow—plus, European Flax Linen boasts natural hypoallergenic properties.
Three tips for a better bedroom
Try this at home:
Look for low-VOC.
Painting walls? Reach for this safer alt to regular paint—like Sherwin-Williams’s GREENGUARD Gold Certified Harmony—just as vibrant and durable.
Go green(er).
Plants with thick, waxy leaves—think palms, ferns and snake plants—are ideal for air purification.
Opt for sustainably sourced bedding.
Grown without pesticides or chemical fertilizers, organic fibers contribute to healthier ecosystems.
Laundry with a lighter footprint
“Laundry is something everyone does on a regular basis,” say Theresa and Corinna Williams, co-founders of Brooklyn’s Celsious laundry. “It’s a really easy entry point to living more sustainably.”
“With a few simple tweaks, we believe everyone can have an impact.”
—Theresa and Corinna Williams, Celsious co-founders
Bringing sustainability into the fold
Try this at home:
Opt for eco-friendly detergent.
Look for three simple ingredients: baking soda, washing soda and vegetable soap.
Go cold to save energy.
Hot water gives the best clean but uses the most energy. Default to cold water and alternate with hot only when you really need it.
Switch to dryer balls.
They cut down on drying time (reducing energy usage) and are reusable, versus one-and-done dryer sheets.
Air it out.
Hang drying saves energy. Plus, it preserves fibers to help your garments last longer (no breakage from heat!).
Switch to LED lighting. It uses much less energy than incandescent bulbs and lasts 25 times longer!
Reno on a mission
“I like to build sustainability into everything I do,” says actor and activist Adrian Grenier. Check out his eco-friendly approach to renovating an 1863 Brooklyn townhouse from the ground up.
Progress over perfection
“No one’s ever perfect when it comes to sustainability,” says eco-creative Leah Thomas aka @greengirlleah. “It’s about progress over perfection.” She founded Intersectional Environmentalist last summer to explore the intersections of social justice and environmentalism, bring that conversation to the forefront and provide resources for individuals, corporations and beyond. “Feeling empowered is a way to take action,” Leah says. “It’s a great motivator.”
“Just as we want our homes to be clean, vibrant and happy places, the earth is our home, too. It’s important that we take care of it and do our part.”
—Leah Thomas, Intersectional Environmentalist founder
@greengirlleah @intersectionalenvironmentalist
Conscious by design
Try this at home:
Prioritize sustainably sourced.
When purchasing something new, consider whether it’s FSC®-certified, recycled or upcycled—i.e., made in ways that respect people and the environment.
Check your tech.
Set your devices to low-power mode, and turn off lights when you leave a room.
Lower your AC/heat usage (and electric bill!).
Open a window as a first resort to cooling a room, and hang blackout curtains to help curb energy use.
On the bright side: meet Jazmine Rogers
“Sustainability often feels like such doom and gloom, and eco-anxiety is super real,” says eco-style maven Jazmine Rogers aka @thatcurlytop. That’s where she comes in: “I’m trying to change the narrative. Sustainable living should be fun because you’re being way more intentional about what you’re doing. I’m trying to inspire young people to be less anxious about the future and more excited about making change.”
The conscious closet. Jazmine recommends starting with what you love as the first step to living more sustainably. For her, that was fashion. “Consider whatever you’re passionate about and how can you be more sustainable in that regard.”