10 Earth Day Resolution Ideas

The New Year always seems to be the time of year where people resolve to be better, to do better. One of my favorite traditions I have with myself is Earth Day Resolutions. Every Earth Day, I choose one thing I want to incorporate into my life to be better to our planet.

One year, we switched from cow's milk to the plant-based substitute of almond milk. A few years later, I started really focusing on recycling. Another year, I started using Ecosia as my primary search engine. I recommend starting with one a year. The idea is that you make one small change in your life that becomes a habit. You don't stop the next year's Earth Day; you continue doing that, and then you add more.

If this is a tradition you'd like to adopt, I invite you! Here are 10 Earth Day Resolution Ideas to get you started. Earth Day is coming up on April 22.

1. Start purchasing bamboo paper products. My family uses the toilet paper called Seedling from Grove. You can buy it here. Seedling is made from bamboo, which is sustainable, as it reaches maturity between 3 to 5 years, sometimes less. Then it just starts growing again! Bamboo also thrives in depleted soil, which makes it one of the few plants able to survive in soil damaged by deforestation. Growing bamboo in those areas helps return nutrients back into the earth. Plus, Seedling is partnered with the Arbor Day Foundation, which has an 86.78% Charity Navigator Score. Every Seedling purchase you make helps plant trees in the United States!

2. Switch one animal-based product with a plant-based product. Or at least cut back. The science is there: the meat industry is terrible for the environment. Going into the reasons why would be a whole article in and of itself, so I'll leave it at that. As my family switched from cow's milk to almond milk, you can choose to do the same. You could replace beef or chicken stock with vegetable stock for all those delicious soups you make. It doesn't have to be all or nothing. If you usually eat meat four times a week, substitute one of those nights with a plant-based meal instead. I have a friend who does Meatless Mondays every week to challenge herself to plant-based nutrition and learning new recipes.

3. Start using Ecosia instead of Google. This was one of my Earth Day resolutions. Ecosia keeps track of your search count, and roughly every 45 searches you make, a tree is planted! At the time of this article's publication, over 79 million trees have been planted as a result of Ecosia users! Go us!

4. Start an apiary. Okay, you might need to be a bit ambitious for this one, but seriously, why not?! Become a beekeeper! Bees are so important to our earth and our food supply, but they are dying because of human actions. Beekeepers around the globe are working hard to save the bees. You could be one of those beekeepers!

5. If you're not recycling, start. Paper, plastic, glass, aluminum. These are all recyclable items that often end up in landfills only because people aren't thinking about it. In our house, we have two bins: one for garbage and one for recycling. We also have a compost bin outside for organic waste that can be turned back into soil.

6. Stop using plastic bags. Single-use plastic is one of the most wasteful products we have created. If you want to get really adventurous, cut out all single-use plastic. If you're going to start small, purchase some reusable grocery totes and keep them in the trunk of your car for shopping trips. If you're more earth-friendly than I currently am, keep them in the basket of your bike. If you happen to forget them during a trip, request paper bags instead of plastic. They still aren't sustainable, but they're more reusable and more recyclable than plastic bags. You can reuse paper bags for book covers or as a weed block for your new bee garden (see number 9). They can also be composted (see number 8). You can also choose to recycle them.

7. Carpool, walk, or bike to work/school more often. If your commute and your body allow it, why not take a bike or work? Or walk? Or take public transport? Or carpool? Anything to reduce the number of cars on the road can help you feel like you're doing something good for the environment. Again, this doesn't have to be all or nothing. Start small. Maybe every Friday you choose to walk to work, or every Wednesday you carpool with Oscar from Accounting (yes, that's a reference to the Office).

8. Start a compost bin. One of the coolest things is watching how things grown from the earth eventually turn back into earth. My first compost bin was just a large tote. As a child, we had a giant wooden box that my step-dad made, and all the grass clippings, raked leaves, eggshells, coffee grounds, fallen branches, organic kitchen scraps, and garden clippings went right in there. There are do's and don'ts to composting (never put meat or feces from animals who eat meat, like dogs, into the compost, for instance). Still, overall, it's a really great way to reduce the waste that is carted to the dump. Plus, it makes this incredible nutrient-rich black soil that your plants will love!

9. Start a bee-friendly flower bed. Back to the bees! I really care about the bees. Plant a small flower bed (or a large one, if you have space) with bee balm, lavender, marigolds, chives, mint, sage, thyme, and/or oregano. Bees love these particular plants (and more). Plus, as witches, who couldn't use more lavender, sage, and mint? Honestly. Harvest it and hang it up to dry for magical use! It's a win-win! Even as a previous apartment dweller, I had lavender, sage, and mint in a container garden on my patio. You can do it!

10. Set up a monthly donation to an environmental charity. Make sure you're vetting the charity through a site like Charity Navigator, CharityWatch, or GiveWell. Then set up a recurring donation of an amount comfortable to you, and feel the gratitude of being able to give to high-impact organizations dedicated to helping our planet.

So there you have it! 10 ideas to get you started. If you think of others, leave them in the comments below! We'd love to hear what your Earth Day resolution is!

Bonus Resolutions From Yours Truly Over the Years:

In 2023, WHE is hosting an Earth Day Giveaway. In honor of our Earth Day Giveaway, here are some additional bonus ideas for your Earth Day Resolution from my personal life.

11. Switch your home to renewable energy, such as wind and solar, through your electric company. This was the second resolution I ever made. As of 2023, my home has been powered by wind and solar energy for 15 years. Most energy companies allow you to purchase renewable energy through their energy program. Often, you can choose a percentage (I started at 25% and quickly increased to 100%). Over the years, this option has become more and more affordable as more and more people switch to it. I wrote a blog post on this very topic here.

12. Upgrade to a fully electric vehicle. This was my Earth Day Resolution for 2021. I wrote a blog post all about my upgrade. Two years later, I'm still loving my decision. It was a happy accident that I purchased this right before cost of fuel in the United States increased rapidly. But the best part is knowing I'm not contributing to the auto emissions. (Plus, my car is really fun to drive.)

13. Grow all my own greens hydroponically. In 2020, I finally purchased my very own Lettuce Grow Farmstand, which I'd had my eye on for two years prior. In this low-energy hydro system, I'm able to grow all my greens indoors with less water and fewer resources than traditional gardening. There are a bunch of benefits to this system, which is actually made from plastic recovered from the ocean! Read all about it here in my initial blog post and read my one-year update here. (Psst, you can save $50 on your Farmstand purchase if you use my friend code at checkout: FRIEND-EBNX.)

Charlie Nichols is the founder of WHE and a staff contributor. Charlie studied Journalism & Mass Communication, Marketing, and Psychology at Madison College in Madison, Wisconsin. She has practiced witchcraft for over two decades and is a certified spiritual empowerment coach, a certified ethical psychic, and a certified crystal healer. Charlie lives on the shores of Lake Michigan in Wisconsin, USA with her partner, daughter, and animal companions.