Caring about our communities and the environment isn’t just our rallying cry during Earth Month, it’s one of our core values opens in a new tab. So we’re continually working to decrease our impact on the planet. Over the years, our team members and customers have shared some great green-living tips, which have inspired changes in our stores, homes, offices and communities. We’ve divided these ideas into four posts – tips for food choices opens in a new tab, transportation, energy and the home – that we’ll be publishing throughout the month. Plus, visit www.earthlingmonth.com opens in a new tab for more Earth Month inspiration, stories, and events.
While you're there we hope you'll show us what makes you an earthling, or just share a tweet or an Instagram photo tagged with #WFMearthling, and you could win a $150 Whole Foods Market gift card.
Home Sweet Home
From your backyard to your bathroom to your closet, we’re sharing 11 of our favorite Earth Month tips for the home. Take a look, get inspired, and share your ideas too.
Be disposable conscious. To decrease waste, purchase durable, long-lasting products that can be reused, refilled or recharged. If you do use disposables, choose those made with recycled/recyclable materials.
Cut junk mail. Junk mail can fill landfills, overload recycling operations and waste trees and energy. Sign up for a “mail preference service” to decrease what you get that you don’t want.
Watch the water. Taking a shower uses less water than filling a bathtub, and a water-conserving shower head is even better! Leaky faucets are another thing to keep your eye on.
Give new meaning to cleaning. With our third-party-audited Eco-Scale™ opens in a new tab rating system for household cleaning products, you can choose how “green” you want to go.
Don’t trash fashion. Use worn-out t-shirts, towels and bed linens as rags for cleaning, and pass along unwanted clothes to friends, family and charitable organizations.
Plant a tree, no joke. A single tree can absorb up to 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide over its lifetime. Makes you want to hug one, doesn’t it?!
Give your body to science. Our Premium Body Care® seal opens in a new tab is on products that meet strict standards for quality sourcing, environmental impact, results and safety.
Recycle and buy recycled. Keep a recycling bin in your home as a reminder to recycle. Close the loop by buying products made from or packaged in recycled material!
Launder your money. Reduce your cost per load and your burden on the Earth by choosing concentrated laundry detergent.
Pick your flowers with care. Our Whole Trade® flowers opens in a new tab are grown by people who truly benefit from ethical trade and eco-friendly farming.
Overhaul your office. At home or on the job, be kinder to the planet with 100% recycled printer paper and notepads. With today’s digital gadgets, there’s also no better time to reduce printing.
Celebrate Success!
Earth month is about celebrating too. Look around your home (and your workplace and community) and be proud of the strides we have all made in recent years to improve our shared home, Earth.
At Whole Foods Market, we’re proud of our stores – our home – for using green building techniques. We have 40 stores that are LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) or Green Globes certified, registered, or in development. We don’t certify all of our stores, but almost all are designed with criteria sufficient to achieve certification.
What are you proud of doing around your home in the name of the planet? Share in the comments below.
