Every year on April 22nd, Earth Day is celebrated worldwide to encourage people to “think green” and promote awareness of the importance of being environmentally friendly. Over the years, the Earth Day movement has successfully encouraged Congress to become more involved in passing laws to protect the environment and has influenced the passage of the Endangered Species Act. Today, Earth Day is recognized in 175 countries with over 500 million active participants.
In celebration of Earth Day, Gentle Dental would like to share a few simple eco-friendly tips that will help keep your teeth clean and healthy while helping to save the environment.
Turn Off the Faucet – It may be hard to believe, but water is not an unlimited resource. Only 1% of the Earth’s water can be safely used. This is why it is important to be wise and use water efficiently. By turning off the faucet while you are brushing your teeth, you can save up to 8 gallons of water per day, that’s over 200 gallons a month! Conserving natural resources helps to improve the environment around us.
Do Not Flush Floss – It is important to properly dispose of floss. Non-biodegradable nylon floss cannot dissolve in water and will not break down like other disposable products. When floss is flushed down the toilet, it works its way through the water system and out into the ocean, polluting the water and potentially killing birds, animals and sea-life through accidental ingestion. This is avoidable by simply throwing floss into the garbage. You can also purchase floss packaged in cardboard containers, which helps to reduce plastic waste in our landfills.
Recycle/Reuse Toothbrushes – It is estimated that 50 million pounds of toothbrushes are thrown into U.S landfills each year. Help clean up the environment by purchasing recyclable toothbrushes. Terracycle and Preserve are two companies that offer eco-friendly options to recycle toothbrushes. You can also reuse them around the house for cleaning appliances, jewelry and even your shoes. Before you toss your toothbrush, try and find a creative way you can use it instead.
Turn Off the Lights – When possible, use natural lighting when brushing your teeth. If this is not an option, you can replace old bulbs with CFL or LED lights to help conserve energy.
These small changes to our daily routine can make all the difference in helping to conserve energy and natural resources and help clean up our environment. It is important that we all do our part to preserve our planet.
Join the green movement! Visit http://www.earthday.org/ to learn how you can make everyday Earth day.
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