Guest post by Emily Borst

April 22, recognized globally as Earth Day, is a reminder to every one of the steps we can take to reduce our environmental impact, live a more eco-friendly lifestyle, and ensure that the planet is around for many generations to come. Though this is important to keep in mind year-round, we get a much-needed gentle push every April to pick up some greener habits.

Many green and environmentally-friendly habits are easy to implement into your day-to-day life, and most require little to no disruption to your existing lifestyle. Through making these small, smart choices, we can all do what April 22 reminds us to do: be more eco-friendly for ourselves, for the planet, and for each other.

Many of these changes can be done from the comfort of your own home, and are an effective way to teach children the benefits of going green! Take an afternoon or weekend to do a full "plastic audit" of your home and see where you're using single-use plastic that could easily be cut down or eliminated. For many people, this includes:

Switching from single-use coffee pods to a reusable one
Being conscious about choosing sustainable packaging versus single-use
Ditching plastic water bottles and investing in a stainless-steel reusable one
Purchasing a reusable coffee mug to bring to coffee shops
Opting for bamboo toothbrushes and portable cutlery over plastic

These small changes are easy to make and will help you and your household be more environmentally friendly. This isn't the only way to run a green home—some swaps are just about making better choices and being less wasteful.

One area of waste that many people don't even realize is in the main staple of your kitchen: the stove. Many modern stoves have 2 large burners and 2 small ones, and putting the correct-size pots and pans on these burners will help you reduce the amount of energy you waste (not to mention, it will help cook your food faster!).

Another place in your home to implement a green initiative is in the laundry room. If possible, ditch the dryer and opt for line-dried clothing instead. This drastically reduces the amount of energy you produce and will help your clothes stay fresh and wearable for a longer amount of time. Plus, you get to breathe in the sun-dried smell of fresh laundry!

Going green doesn't have to mean taking drastic measures—it means doing your part to live a greener lifestyle. Through small changes like these, we can all feel better about ourselves, our homes, and our environment. Learn more about how to go green for earth Day and beyond with this Wikibuy visual!

Graphic by Wikibuy.com

Emily Borst is a digital content creator who creates helpful and compelling stories worth sharing, covering unique topics ranging from business to eco to lifestyle. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, crafting, reading, and eating her way through Austin, Texas.