Did you know our Cleaner Contra Costa Challenge has a whole menu of "EASY" sustainability actions? These are great ways to get your kids involved in reducing your household's carbon footprint!
Here are a few of our favorite kid-friendly challenges:
- Turn Off the Faucet - turning off the faucet while you brush your teeth can save up to 1,500 gallons of water per year!
- Line-Dry Clothes - this is a task that your kids could help you with - harness the power of the sun and wind to dry your clothes! Line drying saves money and extends the life of your clothes. Plus, there’s nothing like the fresh smell of line dried clothes
- Eat Lower Down the Carbon Chain - Cattle and sheep release a very powerful greenhouse gas called Methane as part of their digestive process. Reducing meals with beef or lamb just once per week for a family of four is the same as taking the average car off the road for up to 1,500 miles. Ask your kids to help pick out a meatless (or less red-meat-intensive) recipe and pitch in with the prep!
- Reduce & Reuse - Disposable products waste significant resources. Paper plates and cups, for example, use a huge amount of resources and energy to create, only to be thrown in the garbage after one use. Whenever possible, avoid anything disposable and choose products that are reusable. Have your kids outgrown their clothes or toys? Connect with others on NextDoor, local "Buy Nothing" Groups on Facebook, or Freecycle to keep those items in circulation! And close the loop - check for reusable clothes and toys on those sites (as well as thrift stores and garage sales!) as well before deciding to buy new.
- Turn Stuff Off - It's easy, it's free, it takes just a few seconds, and it saves you money. Your kids can help make sure electronics and lights are off whenever they are not in use so you can save energy, save money, and reduce your impact.
- Wash Wisely - Up to 75% of the energy used for washing clothes goes to heating water. Set your washer to the cold water setting to save energy and reduce wear & tear on your clothing as well! Most detergents are developed now to work well in cold water.
Make sure to check out even more easy (and medium, and hard!) sustainability pledges you can make, at CleanerContraCosta.org. Measure and track your household's carbon footprint and get inspiration and guidance on how you can further improve. See how you stack up against others in the area!
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