Earth Day is an annual event to raise awareness of the importance of clean air, land and water, and this year’s theme is climate action. According to some experts, climate change represents the biggest challenge to our planet. This year’s Earth Day, which falls on Wednesday, April 22, marks the 50th anniversary of the event. Here are some easy tips that will not only help you celebrate Earth Day, but can also save some money and resources while you’re at it.
Turn it off
Many of us are guilty of leaving the water on while we brush our teeth, which wastes about four gallons of water every time you brush1. If you brush your teeth twice a day and turn the water off while doing so, you could save about 3,000 gallons per year – for an average family of four, that’s nearly 12,000 gallons of water a year!
Turn it down
By simply lowering your water heater down to 120 degrees Fahrenheit, you can cut your water heating costs by 6-10%.1
Plant a tree
Arbor Day is Friday, April 24, and what better way to celebrate than by planting a tree? If that’s not an option, here are some other ideas.
- Establish a recycling program at home. If you’re already recycling at home, think of ways to expand what you recycle (e.g., home electronics, old phones, unworn clothes).
- Get outdoors and take a bike ride or a hike.
- Plant a vegetable garden or flowers. You can even start small and plant an herb garden in the window sill.
Save the trees!
Go paperless as often as you can. For example, with Horace Mann’s e-delivery, you never have to worry about having to sort through mailbox clutter. Instead, any Horace Mann auto policy or annuity contract information and communication is instantly available at your fingertips. Sign up and go paperless today!
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1. United States Environmental Protection Agency
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WBTL-0817 (Apr. 20)