35 Easy Ways to Be an Eco-Friendly Family | Free Printable Pledge

Take the pledge to be an eco-friendly family with these easy ideas & a free printable.

"We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children."

Ever since I became a mom, this Native American proverb has taken on a whole new meaning. I've always tried to be environmentally conscious, but thinking of the world that I'm leaving for my children has opened my eyes even more. I'll be the first to admit - I'm not perfectly "green." Going zero waste, off-grid, and growing my own food sounds amazing but it isn’t very realistic. But the reality is you don’t have to do all those things to make your family eco-friendly.  This year, we are making a pledge to make small changes as a family to be more eco-friendly, and I'd love for you to join us with 35 easy changes you can make and a free printable to help you along.

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35 Ways to Be an Eco-Friendly Family

You may be feeling a little bit overwhelmed with how many different ways you can make your family eco-friendly. So start small! Little changes here and there that are introduced over time can still make a huge difference and don’t require a totally new lifestyle. No matter where you live you can put these tips into practice and get your kids involved too. Read through these ideas and grab a free printable Eco-Friendly Family Pledge at the bottom of this post to put your plan into action.

Food and Shopping

Buy in bulk.
Shop locally, especially for food. Visit a Farmer's Market or join a CSA (community supported agriculture).
Donate to and shop at thrift stores or consignment sales.
Use your own shopping bags and produce bags.
Buy goods made from recycled materials.
Buy things that come in minimal packaging or packaging that can be composted/recycled.
Invest in reusable water bottles instead of buying bottled water.
Plant a vegetable garden.

Toys

Swap plastic toys in favor of recycled wood and other friendly materials.
Buy toys that encourage living green like a Eco Dollhouse or Recycling Truck.
Switch to eco-friendly play dough alternatives.
Buy rechargable batteries for toys and electronics

With the Kids

Walk or bike instead of driving when you can.
Go hiking and help clean up the trail.
Volunteer for a community cleanup or organize one for your neighborhood.
Take a power break once a week where the whole family goes without electricity for a designated period of time.
Switch to reusable containers for kids lunches.
Save recyclables for craft projects. Love this book for inspiration!

Around the House

Learn how to recycle in your community and commit to recycling anything you can.
Start composting food scraps and paper or cardboard items.
Turn off water when brushing your teeth.
Unplug appliances when they aren’t in use.
Pay your bills & get statements online to reduce the amount of mail in your home.
Always print documents double sided and reuse the back of old papers for lists & notes.
Make your own eco-friendly cleaners that are safe for kids (and pets).
Turn off lights when you don’t need them or when you leave the room.
Switch to energy efficient light bulbs.
Get a programmable thermostat and adjust it so the heat and AC doesn’t come on while the house is empty.
Get water saver nozzles for sinks and showers.
Set a timer for showers.
Dry clothes on a clothes line instead of in the dryer.
Plant trees around your yard to provide shade which will help your house stay cool in the summer.
Use cloth towels instead of paper towels.
Replace plastic straws with reusable ones.
Repair broken items instead of replacing them.

Take the Eco-Friendly Family Pledge

Are you ready to put some of these changes into action? Grab my free printable Eco-Friendly Family Pledge below. Just click the button below get started, then fill it out together as a family. Choose the things that you'd like to concentrate on, have everyone sign the pledge, then hang it somewhere as a daily reminder to care for our planet.

FREE

Celebrate Earth Week with the Virtual Book Club for Kids

A great way to start your journey towards being more eco-friendly is by reading books about caring for our planet. This week we are celebrating everything Earth in the Virtual Book Club for Kids, starting with The Earth Book by Todd Parr.  Check it out below along with a few of our other favorites!

Want more fun activities to celebrate Earth week? Check out these fun ideas from my Virtual Book Club for Kids co-hosts! And join us on Facebook for even more activities and ideas.

Earth Themed Letter Sensory Bin - Preschool Powol Packets

Growing Grass - Mama Smiles

Earth Day Math Activities with Printables - J Daniel 4's Mom