by Aaron Weidman, MS, ATC, CEAS

April is Earth Month and that means we’re all think about making changes to become more environmentally friendly. Even your onsite injury prevention specialists take part in this by utilizing green initiatives that our Eco Team has found. Don’t forget there are still a few days to get involved with Work Right’s Eco Bingo Challenge. Be sure to ask your onsite clinician for your way to take part and find there are things we can all do to make our days (and nights) a little more Eco Minded. In the meantime, let me remind you of a few examples of how easy it is at being GREEN!

Micro Greens

Going green doesn’t have to be hard. There are certainly some big lifestyle changes you can make that can make an immediate, positive impact on your carbon footprint, but if you’re looking to get started, let’s start small. In the same way we coach industrial athletes about the benefits of microstretches, let’s dive into some micro acts of getting greener when the overall challenge of going green might seem daunting. Let’s call them micro greens! First up…

• Buy an Electric Vehicle… HA!! Gotcha!! You don’t have to do something that big to be green. That’s what I want to tackle here. The small things that we can all do that will add up to big things.
• Solar panels on your roof… Good. You were paying attention and didn’t fall for that! Not a bad idea, but a big investment.
• Turn off the lights as you leave a room – this is maybe the easiest one on the list, but is arguably the cheapest way to turn your life green.
• Turn off the water when brushing your teeth – no need for you to waste water while you brush your teeth for 2 full minutes like dentists recommend right?!?!
• Use kitchen towels instead of paper towels – No need to fill up your garbage can with all that paper, just use a towel to wipe up that coffee you spilled then toss it in the washing machine with your next load.
• Reusable water bottles – More and more places offer water bottle filling stations along with drinking fountains (bubblers in Wisconsin – WEIRD!!!). So carry a reusable water bottle and take advantage of those stations.
• Reusable cups – I know you want to show off your to-go coffee cup you just got from that national coffee chain, but did you know they’ll also fill your cup with that latte? Not only will you save a paper cup from winding up in a landfill, but you’ll do better at keeping the hot coffee hot on a cold day or cold coffee cold on a hot day just like it was intended to be.*
• Speaking of coffee… when making your coffee at home, did you know you can reuse spent coffee grounds? Put them in your garden (that you most certainly have), or in those house plants to give them a little boost. The nutrients in coffee grounds help veggies thrive and may just help house plants bloom a little more frequently.
• Take a walk. But when you do, pick up a few pieces of trash while you’re at it. This is a great opportunity to help make you neighborhood a little cleaner, and you never know who might be watching and become inspired to do the same.
• In your neighborhood cleanup efforts, you’re sure to come across at least a single-use plastic grocery bag. Exercise another #microgreen muscle and remember to bring reusable bags with you next time you grocery shop.

You see! It doesn’t take huge investment of money or time to be environmentally friendly there. There are so many easy ways for all of us to be #microgreen!

*Not an approved method of coffee consumption by Work Right NW. Seek a professional coffee sommelier for best advice.

Aaron Weidman, MS, ATC, CEAS || Aaron is a Certified Athletic Trainer in the Normal, IL area. Aaron has spent his career helping athletes, patients, and team members prevent and recover from injuries and is passionate about prevention. When Aaron isn’t at work he enjoys traveling with his wife, touring with Taylor Swift, or at home spoiling their Scottish Terrier, Zoey.

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Be sure to check out our other blogs for further injury prevention education and tips for the industrial athlete from Work Right NW!