ABC's Ginger Zee Wants You to Try Composting This Earth Day

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For Ginger Zee, sustainability isn't something she just thinks about on Earth Day. For her, it's a year-long affair.

The Chief Meteorologist and Chief Climate Correspondent at ABC News credits her upbringing with first introducing her to green living.

"I was so fortunate to first fall in love with weather when I was very young and really be connected to Earth and be really connected to what weather meant," Zee tells The Spruce.

She lived in a home with geothermal heat in the 1980s before it was trending, and her mother and stepfather bought a farmhouse (initially without water or electricity before they added that in) where she lived in the late '80s and '90s, calling it an introduction to "a different way of life."

"I grew up never questioning where you put your apple core — you put it in the compost," Zee says. "That's what we always did. When you grow up that way, I think you think differently."

Though Zee got into meteorology for storm chasing ("I didn't even want to be on television. I just wanted to be Helen Hunt in Twister"), she found a greater purpose.

"When you grow up that way, I think you think differently."

"Once I started covering disasters, I realized, 'Oh my gosh, 'my why' isn't to tell people about how high storm surges," Zee says. "It's not about data and science, it's about people."

From there, "her why" continued to evolve.

"Now the majority of 'my why' is 'Why is this important?' or 'Why is this happening?' And are we having an impact on it?'"

Read on for Zee's best tips for making every day a little greener.

Try a "No New" Challenge

If you're an avid Good Morning America viewer, you probably remember Zee's "No New Clothes" challenge that she's successfully stuck to for almost two years. Noting that she comes from "a place of privilege" to be able to avoid fast fashion, Zee committed to not buying any new clothes, instead relying on thrifting, renting, and swapping outfits with friends (like Lara Spencer!) to round out her wardrobe.

"Taking a little challenge, whether it's three months or almost two years, is a great way to reframe your brain," Zee says.

Starting on Earth Day, Zee is trying the "No New Things" challenge for a month.

In this challenge, Zee is committed to not purchasing anything new, and if she needs something, is finding it another way, through a community Facebook page, borrowing from a friend, or DIYing. To get started, Zee recommends making a plan, unsubscribing to marketing emails, and learning what might cause you to impulse buy.

Reduce Single-Use Plastic

Plastic is everywhere, but Zee has made it a priority to reduce her single-use plastic consumption across her home. By shopping with reusable bags to using bar soap and bar shampoo instead of liquid, Zee has made small changes to make a difference.

Zee recommends buying produce that isn't already bagged, so you can skip the plastic and only buy what you'll use, saving you money in the process.

"You have less food waste, which is creating less methane," Zee says.

You'll also find lots of refillable products across Zee's home, especially related to cleaning and laundry, using things like cleaning tablets to make her own cleaners instead of buying brand-new.

Compost Food Scraps

Reducing food waste is a hot topic, but Zee says it's easy to do through composting.

"If you have any space, I highly encourage you to try it because you'll be amazed at how easy it is and how the habit becomes quite simple," Zee says.

She has a tin in her kitchen for food scraps and once that's full, she moves it to a spot outside her door. From there, it goes to the big compost in the backyard.

"It's easy," Zee says. "You don't have to go down there every day. I turn it about once a week. The worms are happy as can be."

Make Small Changes

Small efforts can make big changes to reduce greenhouse gases too.

"Reducing by a degree on your thermostat or putting it up a degree in the summer, it has unbelievable impact, and it's so simple," Zee says.

Zee is always sharing helpful tips for greener living on ABC, and this month is no different.

Follow along with Zee as she leads a new week-long series on ABC News for Earth Day, called "The Power of Us," highlighting climate issues alongside real stories of new solutions, from individual people to communities as a whole.

"Humans are amazing," Zee says. "I'm in constant awe of how we adapt."

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Read the original article on The Spruce.