It’s Earth Day! Read 12 ways to make your home greener for the next year

It’s Earth Day! Right, we all totally remembered and planned to do something! YAY, environment!

Great! I hope I caught you before you decided how to observe the holiday, because I have a few more ideas.

1. If you’ve always wanted to start recycling, take a few minutes today to set it up. One reader recommended Flings bins for storage.
2. Similarly, look into starting that compost you’ve always wanted to try. If you’re in an apartment, read up on vermiculture.
3. Take an hour or so to tune up your bike so it’s ready for rides. I don’t know how to do it, so I’mma watch this video from Etsy on tuning a bike — for a total novice.
4. Stock up on green cleaning supplies. Make it your Earth Day Resolution to only clean using baking soda, vinegar, and water for the next year — or to cut down on harsh cleaners.
5. Buy caulk and seal leaky windows in your home. And you can tell everyone you’re caulking something. It doesn’t make any sense, but it’s still funny.
6. Look up where to recycle batteries in your state and make a note of where you can take your toxics. Batteries, household chemicals, and old paints should all be specially handled, but many people don’t know what to do with them.
7. Implement Meatless Mondays. Any way you measure it, we waste a lot of energy eating as much meat as we do. It’s the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics.
8. Watch a documentary. Food, Inc. is a fascinating watch IF ONLY to learn more about where our food comes from.
9. Give up bottled water. Buy yourself your choice of reusable water bottle today, and get in the habit of remembering it.
10. This is a really big one, but it’s worth bringing up: If you’re in a multi-car household, take a few minutes to think about whether you could get rid of a car. You might be surprised — and remember, it might be cheaper to live with one less car!
11. Decide that this is the year you’ll buy used where possible. When you need new housewares or shoes, pledge to visit Goodwill before you hit Target. Commitment lite: Pledge to try a local store before each inclination to visit a big box.
12. This tip is the most fun: Pledge to eat mostly-local vegetables this summer. If you have a farmers market, make it a priority to visit it weekly and pick out your veggies. Do beware: at larger markets, people order in out-of-region vegetables, which kind of defeats the point.

Homies: other beginner tips to green up at home?