Happy Earth Day 2021 – teach your little ones how to keep their footprint tiny

Here at Pura we’re on a mission to empower everyone to protect the future of the planet, today.

So we love the "Restore Our Earth" theme of Earth Day 2021 with its focus on how we can use new, greener technologies to rebuild the world's eco systems for future generations.

Though it normally falls on April 22 each year, Earth Day 2021 is a three-day event to mark the organisation's 50^th anniversary. You can tune into events here.

Earth Day is a really great opportunity to teach your kids about climate crisis, no matter how young they are.

We’re all in this together

“The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that somebody else will save it,” said Polar explorer Robert Swan.

Climate crisis is such a huge problem that it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by it, and you may wonder what use you can be in reversing this massive threat. 

But small changes, that are easy to weave into everyday family life, can have a huge collective, positive impact and it's important to teach your little ones that they have the power to help. 

It’s just one bottle…

Most toddlers and older kids own a reusable water bottle and most adults know that single-use plastic bottles aren’t eco-friendly.

But in the UK, 7.7 billion plastic water bottles are still being used each year, with the average person using just over three bottles a week.

If 1 in 10 people used a reusable just once a week (instead of opting for a single use bottle), we’d reduce usage by around 340 million plastic bottles a year!So this is a simple swap that is entirely worth making.

When you're a busy parent it's easy to forget to take your reusable bottle along on each outing, but as a family you can hold each other accountable. Before you leave the house, make it a habit to check that you all have your bottles to hand – for every trip out.

Ditch plastic wipes

11 billion wet wipes are used in the UK each year and 90% of these contain polluting plastic.

Since Pura's launch, wipes, made from plastic-free, biodegradable plant-fibre cloth have prevented the equivalent of a massive 124.5 tonnes of plastic wipes going into landfill.

It’s our aim to making switching to plastic-free baby wipes easy by offering an affordable alternative that works.

If you haven’t yet made the change, why not try it for a month and see how you get on? And look out for alternatives to other wipes such as face or antibacterial wipes.

Small steps

According to the BBC, the average petrol car on the road in the UK produces the equivalent of 180g of CO2 every kilometre, while a diesel car produces 173g of CO2/km.  And in England, around 60% of 1-2 mile trips are made by car.

Keep your family and your planet healthy by sticking to the lockdown trend of walking for shorter trips.

Why not substitute just one short car journey a day for a walk, initially trying this for a month? An easy change that could make a big difference. 

Turn off the water works

Did you know that your water provider offers free water saving gadgets that are easy to install? United Utilities, for example, has some great ideas on how families can cut back on water use.

Their choice of free items includes a Save-a-Flush for your toilet, a ShowerSave, a shower timer, a tap insert and a "toothy timer" for the kids.

All of these are designed to help you save water and money, while doing your bit for the environment. A “save a flush” toilet device can save 5,000 litres of water per year, per household. While adding a four-minute water timer, designed to cut the time you spend in the shower, could shave £15 off an annual metered water bill.

We want to hear from you! 

Look out for more eco tips here and on our social channels. If this has inspired you to make a change, or if you can share any of your own easy eco tips, send us a DM or tag us in a post. We’d love to hear from you.