Today is the 50^th anniversary of Earth Day. This annual observance marks the beginning of the modern environmental movement and was created to mobilize people for greater protections for our planet. I have understood the importance of not being wasteful and recycling from the time I was a little girl. My parents and grandparents would reuse old household items. Things like jelly jars would easily substitute as drinking glasses. Old brown paper grocery bags would be reused to cover my school paperback books to keep them from damage.  My parents would also take bags of old clothes and furniture to donate them to non-profits like Goodwill and the Salvation Army. Earth Day is an opportunity for me to continue these practices and more. But instead of observing one day annually, I honor Earth Day every day. I feel it is important that I do what I can to protect the planet that I live on. I know that I can’t do everything but I can do something.

I don’t allow my visual disability to stop me from participating in this significant event. How can a visually impaired person participate in the mission of Earth Day? You have asked the right question to the right person. Check out the list of things I do every day as part of my life routine.

1.  I use cloth earth bags for grocery shopping.  These bags work better than the plastic ones in the store. Plastic bags are filling our landfills and don’t decompose well. When I use my cloth, earth bags I have a lot more room for my purchases and I can use them over and over again. I even have a couple with insulation for refrigerated or frozen foods and it keeps the food cold until I get it home. I keep them handy by hanging them on the pantry doorknob in my kitchen.

2.  I take old electronics to a recycle center. I don’t place these items in the trash. Taking items like this to a recycle center is better because they will be properly disposed of. For computer equipment I give to my IT guy for disposal or reuse. I have given him old monitors, printers and keyboards that don’t work anymore.

3.  I use a white cane for travel and they can break and fall  apart after  extensive usage. So, I give  them to a local orientation & mobility instructor. She takes the cane and cane parts to make new canes. My donation is used for people who can’t afford a white cane.

4.  When it comes to old clothes, I have a couple of non-profits I donate to. Professional clothes such as blouses, skirts, slacks and suits I donate to Dress for Success because they help low income women get on their feet and return to work. They have even worked with blind and visually impaired women. I also donate clothes and household items to the American Kidney Fund because they will come to my home to pick up items. Furniture I donate to the Salvation Army and Friends of Disabled Adults and Children. I like donating items to non-profits that have been around for a long time and who also assist people with disabilities in my local community.

5.  I use to participate in my county’s recycling program. Last year they made some changes that made it difficult and complicated for me to participate.  But what I have done is suspend paper statements. I now get virtually all my statements electronically. That means my bank statements, credit cards and household bills no longer come in the mail. I don’t have to shred them anymore and try and recycle that paper. Additionally, I have cut down the junk mail too. When I get unsolicited catalogs, I called the company and immediately ask to be removed off the list. All of these measures have helped decrease the volume of mail coming to my home.

My list is short, and there are probably tons of more things that can be done. But my list is a great way to get started in helping our planet and others too.  I am sure after reading it you might realize you are already doing some of these things. Or you might realize maybe you can add some of my habits to your life too. But regardless there are ways to observe earth Day every day!