In the spirit of recently celebrating Earth Day, our ECOPHORIA sustainability initiative committee put together some tips and tricks for staying green as many of us are working from home amid this pandemic and lockdown orders.

Here’s what we recommend for being eco-friendlier while working from home:  

Unplug

Since you’re always at your house or apartment, make an effort unplug devices when you’re not using them (coffee makers, toasters, etc.). Also, turn of lights whenever possible – rely on natural light when it’s nice out and make sure lights aren’t left on in rooms you aren’t in or whenever you’re outside.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle – correctly!

Recycling may seem easy… if the recyclable icon is on the material, just put it in the recycle bin, right? Not necessarily, many recyclables have a number and things can vary by geographical location. Check your local laws to know exactly what to do. Since it’s where we’re HQ’ed, we reviewed Raleigh’s recyclables specs and found that only 1’s and 2’s can be recycled and 3’s and up can be composted or trashed.

Use Amazon’s Certified Frustration-Free Packaging Program

Amazon introduced this program in order to reduce waste and give customers easy-to-open, 100% recyclable packaging. This shipping option doesn’t cost anything and is easy to choose – here’s how.

Sustainability-Focused Apps

Here’s a couple of apps we like for gauging the sustainability of products you use around the house:

Oroeco

This app tracks your climate impacts by putting a carbon value on what you buy, eat, how you get around, and the energy you consume at home. It gives you personalized tips for how you can save money along with the climate. It integrates with your Facebook profile to make it fun to compare, collaborate, and compete with friends and family.

Think Dirty® 

Although many products are labeled “all-natural” or “organic”, there’s little transparency in labeling cosmetics. Think Dirty® was created as a tool that empowers and educates the consumer on the cosmetics industry by allowing them to make an informed decision on what product to purchase. It’s more than just a mobile app – it’s a consumer revolution for safer cosmetics and changing to cleaner options.

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” – Margaret Mead

We love this quote because it couldn’t be more true. If we all do our parts as individuals, as small groups, as friends and family, whether together or apart, we’re coming together as one powerful force that can and will make a difference in our environment!

We are proudly certified by the Green Business Bureau.