3 tips for a sustainable fall

Fall is the beginning of the end of nature’s lifecycle but there are some things you can do to be kind to the environment.

1. Leave the leaves. Fall leaves are the hallmark of autumn, yet for many people, they mean chores. Endlessly raking and bagging can take a lot of energy you don’t have. If you can, leave the leaves on your lawn instead. Dead leaves are an important part of the natural cycles of plants and soil. Since large piles of whole leaves can kill the grass underneath, mulch up the leaves with a lawn mower and let them do their natural thing.
2. Think green for Halloween. Instead of buying new costumes each year, consider shopping secondhand, swapping with a friend or making your own with items from your closet. Carving pumpkins? Roast the seeds instead of throwing them away, and compost whatever parts of the pumpkin you don’t use.
3. Weather-proof your home. If temperatures are cooling down where you live, you may automatically reach for the thermostat in your home to warm up. But there are some tricks you can use that are more environmentally friendly, such as putting up thermal curtains or using removable window film to insulate your windows and attaching draft stoppers on your doors.