In honour of Earth Day 2020, we've got some great GREEN tips for you from our Green Bag committee!

1. Switch Off

Now that most of us are working from home or in our homes for longer than usual, we may see an increase in our electricity consumption. One way to try and reduce this would be to set aside an hour or so each day to turn all electric items off. Instead of using appliances, read a book or tell stories by candlelight.

Now more than ever it is good to switch off for a bit, for our mental health and the health of our planet.

2. Grow Your Own Herb Garden

Last year, our Green Bag committee organised a lovely flower and herb garden in our studio courtyard. Which included a huge selection of gorgeous plants like begonias, osteospermum, salvia, astra flowers as well as sage, rosemary, lavender, mint, lemon balm, and silver queen thyme.

These particular plants were chosen with the aim of helping our bees and other lovely pollinators, but they also came with the added bonus of being pretty and tasty should any of our Brown Bagger's want to spruce up a lunchtime meal!

Here's a very helpful guide if you'd like to do something similar in your own home or garden - Gardens: actions to help pollinators

You can save a lot of vegetables to regrow. Grab your old spring onions and pop them in some water and they will regrow very fast. A great way to make less trips to the store.

Did you know that certain plants, like easy to grow peace lillies, can help improve air quality, removing formaldehyde, benzene, and carbon monoxide from the surrounding air?

Be sure to check out this great graphic guide for the best air purifying plants according to NASA and also 26 Plants That Clean The Air.

3. Make Your Own DIY Seed Pocket

Ever made your own seed pocket or seed bomb? We can tell you they're super fun and easy to make! Check out our step-by-step guide and get started.

4. You Can Use Recyclable Goods to Pot Your Plants!

Unsure of what to do with your plastic bottles or egg cartons? Why not re-use them as your plant pots!

Cut a plastic bottle in half or take your empty egg carton and fill it up with soil, pop your seeds in, and voila you've got a simple windowsill box to grow your own herbs in.

5. Get Crafty!

Love the environment and love crafting? Go ahead and combine those two and you'll be thrilled with the results! You can use everyday household items like milk cartons, egg cartons, toilette paper rolls, you name it and come up with some super cute decor.

Try your hand at some of these Recyclable Crafts with Character for Families and create some fun characters to pepper around your home. We'd love to see the results—so feel free to share them with us by tagging @BrownBagFilms in your posts!

6. Reduce, Re-use, Recycle

Going green isn't hard but it takes a bit of research and com. Look at how you can cut down on consumption of unrecyclable products, and where you can re-use, repurpose or recycle.

Here are a few simple suggestions for you to try out:

- Using bee's wax paper to seal leftovers instead of single use plastics

- Using reusable bags to cut down on plastic bags

- Using a water-bottle instead of just buying bottled-water

- Carrying small travel cloths instead of using paper towels or hand dryers

- You can swap out liquid soaps, shampoos and many other cleaning products for locally made natural soap! It's a great way to reduce your plastic packaging consumption

- Avoid cling film (as it cannot be recycled) and tin foil (which can only be recycled if clean). Use reusable containers instead to help avoid waste

7. Keep It Simple

Remember going green is not about being perfect. It’s about doing your best to make small, achievable changes, and to keep on making them.

For info and tips on how you can reduce your carbon footprint or be more environmentally friendly, check out the Carbon Calculator, Zero Waste Ireland, and this great blog post 35 Easiest Ways to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint.

For more Earth Day fun, check out our Earth Day Playlist!