Make a habit of earth-friendly practices

77,000 cups rest in front of the Brandenburg Gate Monday in Berlin, Germany. The cups were arranged as part of the German TV production "The Human Footprint," to illustrate how many cups of coffee the average German drinks during his or her lifetime. by Herbert Knosowski/AP Photo

This year, consider celebrating Earth Day for 21 days instead of one.

A bit excessive, perhaps? But here’s why: research shows 21 days is about how long it takes for folks to form habits and keep them. And when it comes to making earth-friendly changes, some of the most effective steps can be made by slightly altering daily routines.

While it’s not nearly as intimidating as nailing a wind turbine to the top of the roof, the idea of constantly carrying around a water bottle, reusable coffee mug and shopping bag can be a bit daunting.

For motivation, think about these numbers:

25 billion Styrofoam coffee cups are thrown away each year, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
Americans use 2.5 million plastic bottles every hour, many of which are thrown away, according to the Environmental Defense Fund.
100 billion to 1 trillion plastic bags are manufactured each year.

Those numbers are a little overwhelming. But local wellness and personal development strategist Cheryl Miller said guilt shouldn’t be the driving force behind the changes.

“For some things around the environment, we feel like we have to do it,” Miller said. “But it has to be something we want to do.”

First you need to decide to form the habit; next plot and plan how it is going to work; and then schedule it. Once the habit is under way, keep track of how successful you are at accomplishing it, Miller said.

“There is nothing sexy about a habit. You’ve got to make it sexy by putting a spin on it, by saying, ‘This is what I’m doing, this is why I’m doing it, look how many times I’m doing it,’” Miller said.

Eileen Horn, sustainability coordinator for the city of Lawrence and Douglas County, has a habit of going over a mental checklist before she leaves her house or office. Along with keys, wallet and cellphone, she makes sure that she has her water bottle and coffee mug on hand.

And, if she forgets them, Horn has a backup in the car.

“Make it part of your routine, but be gentle with yourself when you forget,” she said.

A habit requires planning ahead and creating a system, said Miller, who always travels with several stainless steel bottles.

Sometimes adjustments are needed. The difference between remembering and forgetting to grab your shopping bags could be as simple as moving them from the back seat to the front seat of the car.

Another tip is to have more than one.

For Kathy Richardson, operations supervisor for the city of Lawrence’s Waste Reduction and Recycling division, an investment of 10 to 15 shopping bags is a good idea. She recommends keeping several bags stashed in the car for unexpected trips to the store or when they are left at home.

“It is definitely a transition,” Richardson said of remembering to bring shopping bags, coffee mugs and water bottles. “But now it just sticks.”

Finding reusable coffee cups, bottles and bags are easy. Often they are next to the register at grocery stores and coffee shops. They also have become popular giveaway items at fairs and events.

Just make sure the ones you buy are durable, Richardson said.

After all, you’ll be using them for far longer than 21 days.