What can you do to reduce your Ecological Footprint?

Food

  • Buy organic if you can, or locally-grown produce.
  • Plant a garden (by doing this you cut down on pollution from shipping, fertilizers, packaging, etc and your food is fresher!).
  • Bring your own bags to the store (canvas or reuse plastic/paper).
  • Buy and eat fewer processed foods *:
    • Instead of drinking a juice box, eat a piece of fruit
    • Make a salad
    • Pop your own popcorn instead of microwave popcorn
    • Eat a baked potato instead of potatoes in a box (au gratin, potato flakes, etc.)
    • Eat less meat and dairy – you can get protein from other sources, too
    • Eat at home instead of ordering out

* Processed foods have been frozen, canned, or packaged before coming to your table

Energy/Electricity

  • Make sure all lights are off when not in use.
  • Turn the air conditioner and heater off at night.
  • Get outside! Outside activities are fun and take less energy.
  • Keep doors and windows shut when heating or cooling the house/car.

Transportation

  • Walk or ride your bike to school.
  • Carpool when where you are going is too far to walk.
  • Take public transportation.

Creating less waste

  • Buy products with the least amount of packaging possible (buy in bulk or in big boxes rather than in individually wrapped containers).
  • Ask for no bag when you buy something you can carry without one.
  • Recycle as much as possible (and purchase recycled products when you can).
  • Mend things that are broken (don’t throw them away).
  • Donate old items to someone who can use them.
  • Buy items that can be used over and over (not disposable).
  • Reuse lunch sacks and baggies (or use a lunch box and Tupperware).
  • Reuse water bottles (and recycle them too!).

Water

  • Turn off the faucet while brushing your teeth.
  • Don’t pour toxics down storm drains.
  • Put a brick in your toilet tank. It saves thousands of gallons of water a year.
  • Run only full loads in your dishwasher or washing machine.

Community

  • Help a group the works to make local rivers and streams healthier.
  • Get involved with a recycling program.
  • Educate people in the community about their Ecological Footprint and what they can do to make it smaller – a longer quiz is available at www.myfootprint.org.

School

  • Do an energy audit of your school and see how it can save money and electricity.
  • Have the other classes in your school take the quiz and share their results.
  • Try calculating your school’s Ecological Footprint and get classes to work together to make it smaller.

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