Though Earth Day is celebrated annually on April 22nd, there are many ways we can celebrate Earth Day every day.
Our family has a few family-friendly Earth Day ideas. It’s important to get the whole family involved. Whether it’s tree planting, planting a garden, attending local Earth Day events, or cleaning up waterways or doing some road-side clean up, all of these can be done as a family.
We have some favourite Earth-friendly items that help us tread a little lighter on the earth. Here are some items we include in our every day lives to try to produce less waste.
1. Reusable Lunch Containers
One of the things I try to avoid as much as possible is disposable items. Little One takes litterless/waste-free lunches to school.
Little One loves taking her Bentology bento lunchbox because she says it’s not heavy to carry and she likes the compartments. 
Snapware containers are handy and leak-proof. Sometimes Little One takes her lunch in these containers, but I really like packing road snacks in them when we go on road trips or when we’re on the go. We seem to be always on the go and in need of fuel for our bodies! I pack fruit and veggies in these containers for when Little One is en route to the dance studio for her Acro and Ballet classes.
Little One’s PlanetBox lunchbox is another favourite lunchbox of hers. For those who do not use plastic containers, the PlanetBox is stainless steel. I also like that it is very easy to clean. 
2. Reusable Cloth Napkins
I feel guilty using disposable products — even paper napkins. When Little One packs her lunches or when we travel, I make sure to have reusable cloth napkins handy. The ones we’ve been using since Little One started Junior Kindergarten are Funkins cloth napkins and placemats.
3. Reusable Grocery Bags
Bringing your own bags when shopping is a great way to be gentler on the earth. We’ve got a whole slew of reusable grocery bags that we keep in our vehicle and some in the kitchen. I even have some that are very compact when folded, that they can even fit in my purse. I’m not saying that I never use plastic grocery bags, because there have been times that I either forgot to bring the reusable bags or didn’t bring enough cloth bags. For the most part, we’re pretty good with using reusable as opposed to disposable though.
4. Take Your Own Water Bottle/Coffee Travel Mug
When possible (because we sometimes forget), we try to make sure to bring along our own water bottles and travel mugs whenever we leave the house. Everyone in our household has their own water bottle and travel mug for tea (and coffee for Hubby). We use Contigo and love that they are spill-proof and easy to clean.
5. Beeswax Food Wraps
For the most part, we have switched from using plastic wrap to beeswax food wraps. I discovered L’Abeille Beeswax Food Wraps a few months ago on Instagram. I’ve been using the beeswax wraps ever since! I’m excited that The Island Jar, one of our local health food stores on Manitoulin Island now carries these beeswax wraps!
Not only can you wrap food in these wraps, but you can also make bowls or food containers with them to hold snacks. I watched some YouTube videos and tried my hand at “wrapigami”. Get it? Wrap + Origami!
{ GIVEAWAY }
Since we would love to do our part to help others celebrate Earth Day every day, we’ve partnered with our lovely friends at L’Abeille Beeswax Food Wraps to give Life on Manitoulin readers a chance to WIN 1 small and 1 medium L’Abeille Beeswax Food Wraps. To enter, simply fill out the Rafflecopter form. Open to residents of Canada only, excluding the Province of Quebec. Giveaway ends May 2, 2018.
We compost, recycle, grow our own food, watch energy consumption in the home, and don’t use toxic cleaners or fertilizers!
I love that they help keep plastic from our landfills!
We take our coffe cups with us to be filled when on a road trip.
I like their purpose and how beautiful they are.
We recycle and compost, donate our gently used items to other families, use a rain barrel, reduce electricity and water consumption
We recycle and pick up litter around the neighbourhood!
I like the very cool designs of the beeswax wraps.
Our family doesn’t buy anything new, practically. We get everything used.
I love that Labeille Beeswax Food Wraps provides such an amazing alternative to using plastic wrap.
We recycle and compost, take public transit when we can, and recycle or reuse household items.
We try our best to help the environment by reuse and recycle!
I love that these wraps are locally home made
Great ideas Christine. We try our best to not use single use items too.
I love that these wraps are handmade, locally — love to support local small business !
when we go grocery shopping, we bring our own bags and bins, so we aren’t using plastic bags
The best about Labeille Beeswax Food Wraps they are Canadian,
Her discussion, with one lady chimed in and mentioned that her grandmother would use old cotton table cloths, cut them into squares and coat them with beeswax as a way to make their produce and cheese last longer.
Recycle bottles, cans, newspapers, etc.
Donate items you no longer need or use.
Use reusable bags at the grocery store.
to name a few
We try to make wise sustainable decisions, we garden, and also respect nature. We believe in reducing our eco footprint.
I think it is great that you can create a dish with the wraps. Great for potlucks or picnics. When you take the cover off, you can make a second container to share with a friend.
I am really trying to avoid plastic for food storage, so have been finding interesting glass storage containers, many of which are vintage pieces I I have picked up a local charity re-use shop. They have been used since before plastic was “a thing”. The pieces are very sturdy, they are getting a new life, and are so reasonable to buy.
The entire concept is what I like about them really, Eco friendly , no waste , Canadian Made it goes on and on. Very intrigued by this.
we do many things to be Eco friendly, I reuse as much as I can , donate, recycle properly , We do not have any toxic cleaners in the house baking soda and vinegar do the trick, I am well aware of our carbon foot print and ensure as much as a 6 year old can retain , I teach my little about his as well.