04/20/2022

Reduce Your Footprint

Several years ago, Matt was following a car on the highway close to our family farm when the folks in the car threw a bunch of fast-food trash out the window.  Matt got a glimpse of the driver and immediately recognized the driver as one of his father’s tenants.  Matt pulled over, picked up the trash, and proceeded to head to the rental house where they lived.  When they opened the door to their landlord’s son holding their trash, they were incredibly embarrassed.   

Now I would not recommend doing this today, but I feel the exact same way about litter and waste.  I cannot tell you how many empty cans and fast-food bags I have picked up on our road over the years.  Plus, it kills me when I let food and products expire.  A Cleaner World’s philosophy is like my own personal philosophy – we only have this world; we should take care of it.  And if everyone does their share, what a cleaner world it would be.  That’s why we ask our customers to return their hangers and poly bags for recycling, we plant trees in the community, and follow stricter than government standards when it comes to our cleaning solutions.  

But what can we all do on our own?  Here are a few suggestions:

• Don’t litter.  Ever.  It’s a simple thing that can make an enormous impact.
• Join clean-up efforts.  There are great organizations like Adopt-a-Highway and Keep America Beautiful that hold annual events, but you can do something on a smaller scale.  For instance, the middle school students at our son’s school have the responsibility of picking up trash and litter on and around campus, and last spring, my son’s Boy Scout troop participated in a county-wide clean-up effort.
• Reduce energy usage.  Simple things like turning off lights when you leave a room, switching to energy-efficient light bulbs, turning the water off while brushing your teeth or washing dishes, and taking shorter showers are effective when everyone does them.  
• Recycle, Reuse, and Reduce.  In our home, we recycle cans, bottles, and paper products.  Our trash collection service does not provide pick up, so periodically we drop them off at the local convenience center.  When it comes to reducing, simply reduce the amount of stuff you buy and consume; one item that comes to mind is fast-fashion clothing.  Finally, when it comes to the things we purchase, consider purchasing items that are not disposable.  For instance, I have stopped purchasing paper plates and disposable cups.

These changes, when everyone does them, can make a significant impact on our environment.  If you have suggestions on how to reduce and conserve, please feel free to leave them on our Facebook page or shoot us an e-mail at wildwednesday@acleanerworld.com.  We will be happy to share them for you and give credit where credit is due.