Let’s be honest: Earth Day is Christmas for the green year. We all start thinking and acting a little more eco-friendly as April 22 rolls around.

As you prepare to celebrate, here’s eight great options for optimizing your Earth Day experience:

1. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

It sounds simple but it really works. Get in the habit of incorporating the “three R’s” into products you use on a daily basis. This process can have an effect on what you choose to buy. It also affects how you use and dispose of things you already have.

2. Green Your Garage

Chances are you’ve got more than a few items sitting in the garage that you don’t know what to do with. It could be:

• Household cleaners
• Paint/paint thinners
  
• Electronics/batteries
• Old sports equipment
• Car care products

Not all of this stuff can be recycled. But it can all be reused and/or properly disposed. Use Earth 911’s recycling locator to find a location that will take these supplies off your hands. Your community may be holding a special collection event for Earth Day.

3. Create a Compost Pile

Earth Day is in late April. Winter is over and gardens are in bloom. One of the key ingredients to your perfect garden will be nutrient-rich fertilizer.

Luckily, you can make your own fertilizer and reduce waste at the same time. This is known as composting. You just mix raw food scraps from your kitchen with leaves from your back yard and water.

4. Buy Recycled

You likely already do this without knowing it. When products are recycled, this material is used as the main ingredient for new products. So buying recycled content creates a market for recycling. Most times the packaging will be labeled if it is recycled content, so keep an eye out.

5. Party Smart

Late April is also a great time for parties. But parties can generate a lot of waste. Here’s a few tips for an eco-friendly party:

• Set up recycling bins for aluminum cans, glass and plastic bottles
• Buy large quantities of food and drinks to reduce packaging
• Encourage guests to bring their own glasses and/or plates to reduce waste (there will also be less confusion about which drink belongs to each person)

6. Take Advantage of the Weather

Depending on where you live, this time of year has some of the nicest weather. Try opening windows instead of running the air conditioning and/or heater. This will also save some money on your energy bill.

Nice weather is also a great excuse to drive less. Walking helps your health and is better for the air.

7. Use Water Wisely

Saving water around the house is important because it is a limited resource. Here’s a few easy ways how:

• Take shorter showers
• Put a filled bottle in your toilet tank (less water used per flush)
• Reuse water around the house, such as using cooking water for plants

8. Stay Informed

At Earth 911, we’re all about Making Every Day Earth Day™. You can keep the environment top of mind by subscribing to Earth 911’s monthly newsletter or weekly green tips email. They may help you go green, but they won’t cost you any.

This story is part of Earth 911’s “Green Eight” series, where we showcase eight ways to green your life in various areas. Click here to see Earth 911’s “Green Eight” archive.