50 Things You Can Do To Be An Emerald Keeper
LIFESTYLE
o Say no to plastic bottles. Take your reusable bottle with you every day.
o Ride/walk more; drive less.
o Carry and use your Emerald Keepers bamboo utensil set. Order yours on this website.
o Carpool or take the ferry to work.
o Eat less meat. Meat production is one of the most environmentally destructive industries on the planet due to excessive water use, pollution, greenhouse gas emissions and habitat destruction.
o Switch your bills to paperless and pay household bills online.
o Look for products that have less plastic packaging. Choose cans and glass over plastic containers.
o Recycle or repurpose your newspapers and/or consider requesting your newspapers arrive online.
o Pack lunch items in reusable containers.
o Buy items in bulk and avoid single serving packages with excessive individualized packaging. Your choices matter.
o Use e-tickets rather than printing.
o Say no to plastic straws. Use an alternative, reusable material.
COMMUNITY
o Join a beach clean-up or do your own. What if 100 people cleaned the beach each day?
o Visit a second hand store or garage sale -- reuse rather than buy new. Coronado loves garage sales!
o Buy organic. Conventional farming methods often rely on pesticides that pollute and damage ecosystems.
o Don’t flush medicines down the toilet. Take them to the Police Department.
o Don’t idle your car engine. Turn it off when the car is stopped for more than a minute.
o Avoid aggressive acceleration and deceleration when driving. Gentle acceleration and braking can save more than $1 per gallon, according to the U.S. EPA.
o Use cruise control when highway driving if possible; this helps maintain efficiency and saves money.
o Pick up trash in your neighborhood. Do not walk past trash. If not you, then who?
o Visit a local farmers market.
o Scoop dog poop, so it stays out of the storm drains.
o Visit the Coronado Public Library rather than buying a book or video.
o Patronize Emerald Green, Ocean Blue Businesses.
o Don’t idle your car engine. Our ocean and air quality will thank you.
o Offset your emissions by donating to causes that foster sustainability.
HOME
o Transition to LED lights. The next time a bulb burns out, replace it with LED instead.
o Use Low-Flow faucets and toilets.
o Wash your clothes in cold water to save energy.
o Turn off power switches. Unplug appliances when not in use. You will save energy and money.
o Contact SDG&E to ask about their EcoChoice and EcoShare renewable energy programs so you may request your energy be from renewable sources.
o Clean greener. Many cleaning products are toxic to our health. Choose non-toxic cleaners.
o Don’t heat or air-condition an empty home. Program your thermostat to function only when people are in the house.
o Buy rechargeable batteries and dispose of old batteries properly with the City.
o Buy houseplants.
o Only run full laundry loads and dishwasher cycles.
o Stop using toxin-loaded dryer sheets.
o Create art from recycled materials.
o Only use air conditioning and heat when necessary. Put on a sweater.
KITCHEN
o Carry your reusable grocery bags and use them.
o Use your reusable vegetable / fruit bags when shopping. Don’t have any? Order some today.
o Don’t waste food. Approximately ⅓ of all food produced goes to waste. Food waste ranks as the third top emitter of carbon emissions. Get creative with leftover food instead of throwing away what can still be used.
o Say no to plastic wrap and baggies. Use a reusable container or reusable beeswax wraps or silicone bags.
o Repurpose and reuse household items. Use glass jars and bottles for storing food.
o Clean your refrigerator coils; vacuum the dust and wipe with a damp cloth to improve function.
o Use cloth napkins instead of paper.
o Avoid plastic products when entertaining. Use reusable dishes, glasses/mugs, and utensils
o Don’t dispose of grease in your sink.
o Compost your organic waste in your own compost or add it to your EDCO green bin starting March 2021.
GARDEN
o Start a compost.
o Grow some of your own vegetables.
o Rake your yard and clean your gutters. Keep yard waste and chemicals out of our storm drains. It all ends up in the ocean. Use non-toxic insecticides.
o Use an electric yard blower and an electric lawn mower.
o Reduce lawn fertilizers and avoid pesticides.
o Plant a tree in your yard.
Banner Photo by Derik Emge
