30-Day eco challenge

Here are the 30 day eco challenge guidelines:

-We want this 30 day challenge to meet your needs. Follow the group daily suggestions or do your own thing. Some of us are just getting started while others have long been living an eco friendly lifestyle. Make this challenge your own.

-KISS: keep it simple. We all have a lot going on in out lives. If we don’t follow this rule, we can’t sustain it.

-One new activity / day that helps move your life a little closer to a healthier & eco friendly lifestyle.

-Write about your experiences: both good and bad! Share them on our blog and with your family and friends.

-We may not keep all of our trials as permanent changes –but what is important is to keep trying to find ways to change, and keep the best of the best. I’m hoping for at least a 50% keeper rate. That’s at least 15 new changes in our life!

-Anyone can submit suggestions and join the challenge! I’d love to have fresh ideas to try and mates to rejoice and commiserate with.

-Have fun and don’t be afraid to try new things !

-The 30 days starts October 19, 2009. We’ll be following David Suzuki’s Nature Challenge as much as possible.

 

Week 1 challenges. 

These of course, are just a guideline to get started.  We have listed some alternative suggestions below — and feel free to come up with your own.  We’d love to hear from you on suggestions and how you are doing.

Day 1 – Monday, October 19: Breathe Fresh Air. Get outside to kick start your eco challenge. Go for a power walk, excercise, take a yoga class (sign up for the 30 day yoga challenge), and just recommit to general wellness in your life. Other things to do: sign-up for the David Suzuki Nature Challenge (www.davidsuzuki.org); Calculate your Carbon Footprint (www.carbonzero.ca).

Day 2 -Tuesday, October 20: Start to eat vegetarian at least 1x/week. Aim for 2x.

Day 3 – Wednesday, October 21: Initiate a change at work: make it a no printing day and change your default setting to double-sided printing.  Dramatically reduce your printing going forward. Already doing this? Look for other changes to make at work:  improve your recycling, reduce your lunch packaging waste.

Day 4 – Thursday, October 22: Get or make a ‘no flyers’ mailbox sticker and place one on your mailbox.

Day 5 – Friday, October 23: Walk or bike somewhere that you would normally drive. Take a BIXI!!

Day 6 – Saturday, October 24: Visit an organic food grocer or local farmer’s market such as the Jean Talon or Atwater markets: purchase organic, local dairy, meats & produce.

Day 7 – Sunday, October 25: Try an all natural facial & look to see what other cosmetics/body care product changes you can make.

 

Alternative suggestions to substitute for any of the above:

• Start a compost or access a community compost.
• Stop bringing your clothes to a drycleaner, or at least reduce.
• Hang dry clothes that would normally go in the dryer.  Better for your clothes!!  Set up a clothes line or dryer rack if you don’t have one.
• Stop buying bottled water whenever possible.  Hooked on carbonated bottled water?  Try a home carbonator with reusable bottles.
• Baby at home?  If you are not already using an eco-friendly diaper option make the switch.

Week 2 Challenges

 Day 8 – Monday, October 26:  Look for ways to reduce your water consumption.  Take shorter showers, turn off water when brushing teeth, put a container of water in your refrigerator to keep it cold instead of running your tap to cool it down.

Day 9 – Tuesday, October 27:  Evaluate your household cleaning products.  Change over any non eco-friendly items, or make your own cleaning solution using vinegar, water, borox.  Try a laundry ball or soap nuts to do your wash instead of detergent.

Day 10 – Wednesday, October 28:  Car pool somewhere that you would have taken multiple vehicles.

Day 11 – Thursday, October 29:   Try an organic wine.  And if you have recommendations share them!  (I need one!!)

Day 12 – Friday, October 30:  Start an eco-friendly fall wardrobe.  Support local designers and eco-friendly shops.  Don’t want to shop?  Then give away any clothes not worn in two years:  someone else probably needs them.

Day 13 – Saturday, October 31:  Have an eco-friendly Haloween.

Day 14 – Sunday, November 1:  Take the bus or metro somewhere that you would normally drive.

Alternative suggestions to substitute any of the above that work for you:

• Evaluate your seafood/sushi purchases.  Review the Sustainable Sushi Guide posted to the David Suzuki web site.  Make a change and tell your local fish monger/sushi shop about it.
• Got kids?  Talk to your kids about what they can do to be more environmentally friendly.  Ask their school or day care to do a project with the kids.
• Use reusable lunch bags, containers, and water bottles at work.
• Assess your recycling initiatives and look for improvements.
• Any of the Week 1 suggestions, if you haven’t already tried them.