Green for one day: 11 tips from EF Green Teams
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At EF Education First, we are a group of passionate and motivated change-makers. Across the globe, entrepreneurial EF staff have created EF Green Teams that seek to positively impact local EF schools, offices, communities, and ultimately the planet. We asked them for easy actions that we can all take to make a difference, even for just one day. From composting to saving energy, here are their helpful tips:
Erica, EF Green Team Austin
What’s your best tip right now?
At home, I try to use as many zero waste products as I can, especially for items that I use often. We’ve replaced our paper towels with rags, use reusable silicone bags, and have beeswax wrap instead of plastic wrap!
What could people do for one day?
Either walk, or bike to work! Or, see if you can go the whole day without using any single-use plastic items.
Millie, EF Green Team Austin
What’s your best tip right now?
It’s important to do what you’re good at. For me, I’m good at teaching others, I’m passionate about climate justice and food security, and plants and gardening bring me joy. So, I’m teaching my friends and colleagues about composting and regenerative gardening at home and also supporting frontline farmers in my community.
What could people do for one day?
Draw your own climate action diagram. Everyone’s actions are going to be different based on their passions and strengths. And that’s important because we need lots of different climate solutions working together to make a real impact.
Lauren, EF Green Team Boston
What’s your best tip right now?
Instead of buying bottled water, use a reusable water bottle. In addition, I challenged myself not to buy or use paper towels for a month and substituted them with a washable cloth. A game changer!
What could people do for one day?
Turn your lights/computer off when not home, in the office, or not using them fully.
Mary, EF Green Team Denver
What’s your best tip right now?
Set aside time to research, investigate and support local resources within your community. For example, I recently learned that municipalities throughout the Denver area support a webinar series to educate locals about water use in this arid climate. I’ve attended two now — perennials and creating a veggie garden — and have learned so much about sustainable practices!
What could people do for one day?
Challenge yourself to do anything for one day and notice how it makes you more mindful. For one day, go zero waste. For one day eat vegetarian. For one day, take a quick five-minute shower to save water.
When you experience how realistic and attainable these small behaviors are, you’re more likely to commit to them more often. Just find whatever suits you!
Amit, EF Green Team Panama
What’s your best tip right now?
Two very easy ones! Keep the windows open for airflow instead of using air conditioning and make good use of natural light instead of keeping lights on to save energy.
What could people do for one day?
Ditch single–use plastics when you go for groceries for a day and observe the amount of plastic we use without needing to. And that is one person for one day — imagine if we all did that.
Yuliia, EF Green Team Dubai
What’s your best tip right now?
Before making any purchase, read the ingredients/content of the product and, especially for bigger purchases or services, consider familiarizing yourself with the company’s mission.
What could people do for one day?
Try to go consciously vegan/vegetarian for one day. When doing it, choose seasonal fruits and vegetables, support local farmers, and be curious about the dish preparation. Make it an educational journey! I tried staying vegetarian for a week and loved it so much that it has now been almost three years.
Nikita, EF Green Team Stockholm
What’s your best tip right now?
My best tip for being green is reduce, reuse, recycle — in that order! The best thing you can do for the environment is simply LESS. If it’s possible to not print that extra batch of papers and instead send it digitally, do that. Always think an extra second about what you are about to do and evaluate if you can do it in a more environmentally friendly way.
What could people do for one day?
I encourage people to shop secondhand. Fast fashion has a big impact on the environment and it’s really important for people to learn how to identify greenwashing by big corporations.
Stina, EF Green Team Lucern
What’s your best tip right now?
Reduce food waste by storing food in new ways. And start composting if you can. If you have an outdoor area, explore the possibility of setting up your own vegetable garden.
What could people do for one day?
Katie, EF Green Team Zurich
What’s your best tip right now?
Compost! Especially during work from home, where you’re likely cooking all three meals yourself, you would be shocked how many items you mindlessly throw away which could be composted—everything from the last little piece of an onion to banana peels. Check out the recycling program in your building or neighborhood and see if they have certain pickup days. If not, many third-party companies offer this service.
What could people do for one day?
Try Meatless Mondays, or take it one step further, and try vegan — Vegan Tuesdays, anyone? There are so many innovative recipes and replacement meat products out there; it’s much easier to eat vegetarian or vegan now than it was years ago. Start with one day per week and take it from there!
Maria, EF Green Team Zurich
What’s your best tip right now?
Get informed! Watch documentaries, read online, learn how to compost, learn how to be more sustainable in the kitchen, and more. Information is the key to everything — this will allow you to learn and grow in so many different ways, and it will help you decide on your sustainable compromises and challenges.
What could people do for one day?
Write to your supermarkets, establishments or governments that there must be a change in the way we consume, in the construction of buildings and cities or even how we receive products full of plastics and toxic substances — make yourself heard!
Jake, EF Green Team London
What’s your best tip right now?
If you have a garden, start a compost bin! It is easy, and you will be surprised how quickly your food waste is converted into soil. You can get technical or simply just put your food scraps and garden waste in a bin to get started. I’ve found the key is equal parts “green” (think food scraps) and “brown” (think soiled paper, cardboard, or leaves).
What could people do for one day?
If you have a bike, using that to replace journeys by car is a fun, convenient, and eco-friendly way to get around. The more demand for cycling, the more our cities will need to plan and build infrastructure around it. It doesn’t matter if your journey is one or 100 miles; it all helps!