Did you know that April is EARTH MONTH? As a trusted 20+ year residential solar installer deeply committed to our planet, we view Earth Month as our Super Bowl – a time to champion sustainability and celebrate the power of solar energy! So, as we gear up for our “big game,” we wanted to amplify our efforts and share some easy ways you can reduce your carbon footprint at home.

Ways to Help Our Earth: Sustainability at Home

Earth Day is April 22, and it’s an excellent reminder for all to advocate for more sustainable solutions in our day-to-day lives.  Here are five ways to help our Earth by reducing your carbon footprint at home and contributing to building a brighter future every day.

1. Reduce, Recycle, Reuse

Recycling or reusing is the first and easiest way to reduce your carbon footprint. Before condemning old, unwanted items to the trash, consider how you might minimize waste through recycling or reusing them! Here are a few ideas as food for thought:

• Containers and Jars: Consider repurposing old containers and jars for food storage. They can even be upcycled into decor for your home. In the worst case, plan to clean thoroughly and recycle at a minimum.
  

• Old Clothing: There are more options than ever to donate old clothing. A quick trip to the Salvation Army, Savers, or even a local church or school drop box is an easy errand on the way home from work. You can even opt for an online consignment option like ThredUp, where you get paid to extend the life of old clothing through resale, reuse, and responsible recycling.
  

• Home Textiles: Even soiled fabric items like curtains or tablecloths are recyclable through places like Goodwill. They sell any textiles they cannot resell (including scraps) to textile recycling plants.

• Electronics: Did you know it’s illegal to dispose of electronics through the trash? Not to mention, most electronics contain materials that harm our environment. Check out your county website for an electronics recycling service in your area.

• Home Goods: As the saying goes, one person’s trash is another’s treasure! Rather than dumping old household items in the can, check with family and friends first to see if they can be repurposed in their home. If not, gently placing these items by the road will more often than not lead to a pickup by someone on the hunt for such a thing!

2. Start Composting to Reduce Food Waste

Did you know that globally, our food waste is approximately 1.4 billion tons of food each year? That makes up 11% of our global greenhouse gas emissions. Everyone must take action to eliminate food waste. One way is by composting! 

Recycling food and other organic materials into compost diverts waste away from landfills, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, recycles nutrients, and many other environmental benefits.

What kind of items go in the compost? At our workplace, we typically dispose of coffee grounds, fruits, paper towels, paper napkins, and food scraps that can be easily broken down. 

So, how do you start? Find a composting service near you! At GreenSpark, we utilize Impact Earth composting services for our workplace food waste. Their services apply to residential and commercial properties within Monroe County and beyond! Impact Earth drives to your home or business weekly to pick up your food scraps and turn them into compost. All you have to do is place the food scraps in the washless bucket and leave it by the curbside for pickup. It’s so simple!

For those out of the Rochester area, the US Composting Council has an excellent resource for finding STA-certified compost participants in your area.

3. Buy Eco-Friendly Alternatives Whenever Possible

Next, let’s talk eco-friendly alternatives. Less than 30% of plastic gets recycled in the US— according to the latest stats from the Environmental Protection Agency. So, when you begin to look around your home, it can be pretty distressing how much plastic abounds. Just walking up and down the grocery store aisles is disheartening.

The next time you find yourself in need of an item, new or replacement, explore whether an eco-friendly alternative exists. Here are a few resources for earth-friendly alternatives (bonus: they are ALL fellow B Corps!).

• Life Without Plastic has excellent options for zero-waste living containers.
• Grove Collaborative offers eco-friendly household cleaning, personal care, kitchenware, and pet products.
• Onya Life has a great list of eco-friendly products, kitchenware, and compostable bags.

4. Host Zero-Waste Parties and Events

Did you know we only recycle about 67.2 million tons of a possible 267.8 million tons of municipal solid waste (MSW)? At GreenSpark Solar, we improve recycling rates by setting a budget for reusable, recyclable, or compostable products at all company-wide workplace events. You can also implement a similar approach for your parties, events, and activities!

For example, we use branded metal solo cups at company events to prevent unnecessary waste and encourage people to use and reuse them. We also avoid using plastic flatware, purchase compostable dishware, and have several bins for composting. These are easy changes that you can apply to plan more zero-waste events at home.

5. Make the Switch to an Electric Vehicle (EV).

If you’re considering switching to an EV this year, do it! It’s a great way to reduce your carbon footprint dramatically. Plus, as gas prices continue to rise, you can save money by switching to an EV and contribute towards achieving the 100% zero-emission electricity goal by 2040 in New York State. It’s a win-win. 

We offer (and install) a variety of EV chargers to fit your needs and can help you maximize available incentives. 

6. The Best Way to Reduce your Carbon Footprint – Go Solar.

Of course, the most impactful way to reduce your carbon footprint is to go solar.  GreenSpark is part of the Wayne Industrial Sustainability Park, whose goal is to offer alternative energy (wind, geothermal, and solar voltaic) sources for the industry. By deciding to install a home solar energy system, you can play a more significant role in reducing your community’s annual carbon emissions. Not to mention, the savings potential of going solar is quite enticing. Numerous state and federal incentives are available to help homeowners switch to solar. 

Even in a highly overcast region like Rochester, NY, GreenSpark’s headquarters, solar can offset most, if not all, of a home’s annual energy production.

Look at all the green a Rochester solar array can save. 

Our GreenSpark customer in Rochester, NY owns a 6.66kW system that will provide sustainable and affordable solar energy for years to come. This solar array will have an annual environmental impact equivalent to:

🚗 Over 13,000 miles avoided by gas-powered vehicles 

📱 Over 650,000 smartphones charged 

♻️ 222 trash bags recycled instead of sent to the landfill

Now, that sparks a huge impact! What kind of savings could your roof produce?

Reducing Our Carbon Footprint is Up to All of Us.

To change our future environmental outlook, we need to take action today. It’s up to all of us to do what we can to reduce our carbon footprint by making smarter choices for ourselves and our planet. After, we only have one, so let’s take care of it on Earth Day and every day – together.E