We’re celebrating 109 years of the Grand Canyon State! From our lovely landscapes to diverse wildlife, we’re simply swooning over our beautiful desert home. General

Five Ways to Honor the Grand Canyon State on Arizona’s Birthday

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We’re celebrating 109 years of the Grand Canyon State! From our lovely landscapes to diverse wildlife, we’re simply swooning over our beautiful desert home.

Consider the ways in which you can make an impact while incorporating positive habits into your daily lifestyle. Whether your goal is to decrease your carbon footprint or to produce less waste overall, we can all take the first step forward with these mindful practices in support of our home, Arizona. Together, we can make sure our state stays in tip-top shape for generations to come.

Share your love for the 48th state by pledging to keep our home free of trash with these inspiring ideas:

Recycle right.

An estimated 20 – 25 percent of collected recycling in Phoenix has been contaminated in recent years, according to Arizona Republic. This is due to discarded materials like plastic bags, food waste and Styrofoam materials clogging up bins. Recycling the right way means that you are careful about the kinds of items you place in your bins. When in doubt, keep it out. Visit this guide by the Maricopa Association of Governments to learn more about which recycle-friendly items are accepted in your city.

Reduce waste.

From upcycling items to kid-friendly crafts or eco-friendly décor, there are plenty of opportunities to repurpose or reuse items in order to save time, money and resources. For example, bring your reusable cloth bags to the grocery store and prevent the use of plastic bags. Toss your reusable water bottle or favorite coffee mug in your car so you’re always prepared when you’re on the go. And don’t forget to skip the plasticware on your next takeout order. These small actions make a big impact in the long run and can help prevent unnecessary waste

Be mindful of resources.

We’ve all been spending a little more time at home this past year. Did you know there are fun ways to up-level your home décor while also saving you (and our planet!) resources? Cut down on electricity costs by switching to LED bulbs or decorating your backyard patio with solar-powered lights. When wiping down windows or cleaning countertops, grab an old towel first instead of always reaching for paper towels. Use a hose nozzle when watering plants and set a timer for your sprinklers to cut down on water usage, especially during Arizona’s hot summer months. By being mindful of resources right at home, we can create sustainable habits over time.

Planning to hit the open road? Drive prepared.

Imagine this: You’re packed and ready to coast the highways on your next road trip. But upon embarking on your adventure, you find that our freeways are filled with trash. Yuck! Not only is litter unsightly on our landscapes, but it causes long-term damage to our desert ecosystems and poses a danger to wildlife. What’s the solution? Prevent litter on our roadways by stashing a travel trash bag in your car. It’s perfect for those apple cores, crumpled fast food wrappers and stray Styrofoam cups. Before tossing those cigarette butts out the car window, use an ashtray in your vehicle to keep butts off our highways. Disposing of these commonly littered items the right way makes a world of difference.

Support a community cause.

By volunteering with organizations like Arizona’s Adopt-A-Highway, you are directly supporting efforts to remove litter off Arizona freeways. Gather your group of friends for a safe, socially-distanced clean up. In one day, you can make a positive impact on our Arizona communities. Heading into the great outdoors? Take the time to practice the Appreciate AZ principles by packing out what you pack in. Consider bringing along a garbage bag and collecting litter you see on the trails. Positive and proactive steps like these show a lot of love for Arizona.

As we celebrate Arizona’s statehood day, Don’t Trash Arizona is honoring our beautiful home so that everyone can enjoy it for years to come. Each action you take, whether big or small, makes a world of difference. Visit our website www.donttrashaz.org to learn more.