Happy Earth Day

April 22, 2020

Today is Earth Day and is a perfect opportunity for everyone to come together and share ideas about ways to protect our vulnerable environment.

At iClassPro, we choose to reduce waste by using eco-friendly packaging materials. When possible, we package our items using biodegradable cardboard boxes and then seal them using reinforced biodegradable kraft paper tape. This helps ensure that they can be easily recycled.

And for protecting items in the box, we use a biodegradable alternative called Corrugated Bubble. Corrugated Bubble is 100% recycled cardboard made entirely from post-consumer and post-industrial waste. Lastly, our boxes are padded with biodegradable crinkle paper. All of these are ways we are trying to help protect this planet we call home (:

Here are some small ways you can help reduce waste and make a difference this Earth Day and every day.

 

Ditch the Plastic Bags

Plastic shopping bags end up in landfills and take upwards of 20 years to decompose. They can also suffocate animals who get stuck in them or mistake them for food. So when grocery shopping or shopping for clothes or books, use a reusable bag. This cuts down on litter.

 

Buy Second Hand

The clothing industry is the second highest polluter in the world (behind energy and travel) and is responsible for 10% of carbon emissions. The clothing and textile industries are also the 2nd highest users of water (behind farming). The EPA estimates that the average American throws away about 81 pounds of clothing every year. To reduce waste and cut back on carbon emissions, donate your clothes and buy second hand. Thread Up is a great online second-hand retailer for buying and selling your clothes. Check out their Fashion Footprint Calculator and learn how your shopping habits stack up here.

 

Use Reusable Beverage Containers

Don’t give in to your laziness by opting for beverages individually-packaged in single-use plastics. Instead, consider buying a bulk container of the beverage you want and buying a reusable water bottle. We produce 300 million tons of plastic each year worldwide, half of which is for single-use items.  And these plastics don’t really break down; they just break up over time turning into microplastics which can be particularly dangerous for wildlife.

 

Save Water and Electricity

Sometimes we forget the order isn’t “Recycle, Reuse, Reduce” but the other way around “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.” The first and most impactful thing on that list is Reduce! Water and electricity are wasted all the time. Turn off the faucet while brushing your teeth. Turn off the lights when not in a room. Limit water usage when washing dishes. Changing just a few habits is good for both the environment and your wallet!