We believe that every small change you make creates ripples that can lead to a huge environmental impact, both helpful and harmful. Ocean State Job Lot believes in reducing our carbon footprint and leaving the Earth in better condition year after year. How do we work to build a greener future? Through our Sustainability initiative! In 2021, Ocean State Job Lot became a Net Zero company, meaning the amount we recycle in all our stores, our distribution center, and our corporate offices is more than the amount we dispose of in landfills.
But what can one person do to help make the world a little greener? A lot! They might not seem like much, but every small change multiplied by thousands, hundreds of thousands, or even millions of people can add up to create quite a large positive impact.
Ways to Show the Earth Some Love
Choose Reusable Options
- Ditch the plastic bags, plastic wrap, aluminum foil, and plastic food storage containers, and choose reusable glass containers with lids instead.
- Reduce your paper towel use by cleaning with kitchen towels and microfiber cleaning cloths that can be washed and reused.
- Switching to a reusable water bottle can save hundreds of plastic bottles from landfills or recycling centers each year.
Conserve Water
- Use your dishwasher instead of handwashing and save more than 100 gallons of water a week, even with loads as small as eight dishes!
- Turn off the tap while you brush your teeth and save up to 10 gallons of water per day, depending on the size of your family.
- Fix leaky faucets or running toilets and reduce your water bill by up to 10 percent.
Turn up the Heat to Keep the Earth Cool
- Turning your air conditioner up can also help save energy. According to this Good Housekeeping article, each degree you raise your air conditioner’s thermostat saves three to five percent on energy.
- Experts suggest turning your thermostat seven or eight degrees lower than its normal setting for about eight hours a day to save up to 10 percent on your heating costs. A programmable thermostat can help you streamline the process.
Create an Eco-Friendly Paradise
- Add some green to your yard! Plants play a vital role in saving our planet. They cool the earth’s temperature, help prevent soil erosion, and much, much more. Whether it’s an evergreen tree, some bushes, or a summer garden, every little plant helps save the Earth.
- Attract bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds to your yard to help pollinate new plants in your area by planting flowers with long tubular bells, butterfly bush, foxglove, bee balm, and honeysuckle. Ocean State Job Lot has an awesome selection of potted flowers and flower and vegetable seeds.
- Composting can turn vegetable scraps, egg shells, and other yard waste into nutrient-rich dirt that makes great fertilizer for your flower beds and trees.
- Rain barrels (if your town allows them) can give you free water for your plants, gardens, and washing cars, too!
Make your Errands a Little Greener
- Use reusable shopping bags.
- Opt for public transportation if your area supports it, or ride your bike and you’ll save gas and reduce carbon emissions. If that’s not feasible, plan most of your errands on one day and try to start with the farthest errand from home and work your back. This way, your car is less loaded up with groceries for most of the trip, which saves gas!
Doing our part to ensure future generations have a green, clean world is one of our driving tenets, and you can see that commitment echoed throughout our Mission, Vision, Values. We hope you’ll feel motivated to make small changes in your daily life – if you haven’t already – so we can nurture our planet for many Earth Days to come.
We encourage you to look for Earth Day events in your area, and don’t forget to stop by your local Ocean State Job Lot for other ways to go green!
