Earth Day is celebrated every year on April 22. It’s an international holiday meant to spread awareness for environmental issues the world faces. As environmental concerns continue to grow, here’s what you can do to get involved and make a difference for the planet that we all share
1. Attend a Local Festival
Look online or in the newspaper for Earth Day events, such as educational workshops, nature hikes and community cleanup efforts. You’re likely to find many activities throughout the month of April, so you can attend more than one in support of the environmental causes most important to you.
During these events speak with others about the ways you can work together to improve your local environment as well as the global issues we face. For example, if you live near water you might organize a “Clean Up the Beach” or “Clean Up the Lake” event to remove trash from the environment. You could also discuss improving the recycling programs in your area, and share support for companies that are committed to sustainable practices.
2. Recycle Your Electronics
According to The World Counts, 70 percent of all toxic waste is electronic. Only about 12.5 percent of this e-waste gets recycled. To combat the problem, many towns and cities hold e-waste recycling events on or around Earth Day.
Look for central recycling locations where you can drop off old cell phones, laptops, TVs, printers, DVD players and more instead of throwing them away.
You can also often recycle old electronics with the manufacturer of the product or with companies like Gazelle.
3. Hold a Shoe Drive
Did you know it takes up to 40 years for a pair of sneakers to decompose in a landfill?
Encourage the people in your community to keep their old shoes out of landfills by recycling them. You can get all the materials you need to host a shoe drive, including collection bags and prepaid shipping labels, through an organization like GotSneakers. .
4. Go Paperless
Switching from traditional bills to online or e-mailed statements is an easy way to cut down on paper waste. Some companies also offer discounts to customers who choose to go paperless or set up automatic monthly payment methods.
5. Fix Household Inefficiencies
There’s no better incentive than Earth Day to finally take care of leaky faucets and drafty windows. Losing small amounts of energy and resources in areas around your home adds up, and what may seem like insignificant repairs can make a big impact on overall consumption.
6. Plant Something
Trees, flowers and gardens beautify your home and your neighborhood. Not to mention vegetable plants and fruit trees yield delicious produce as an added bonus.
Choose native or local species to minimize the amount of water and fertilization necessary to maintain healthy plants. Look for natural, chemical-free soil amendments to preserve the balance of beneficial organisms around root systems.
These activities make great starting points for environmentally friendly habits you and your family can establish on Earth Day and practice throughout the year.