11 Ways to Celebrate Earth Day Sustainably
Eco-friendly enthusiasts have celebrated Earth Day since April 22, 1970. Now, more than a billion people in more than 190 countries participate. Earth Day takes place every year on the same day as the first one. New ways of celebrating this event come up for each annual event.
Junior Senator Gaylord Nelson from Wisconsin became involved in anti-war movements along with students in 1969. This raised other issues, such as concerns about diminishing air quality and water contamination. The Senator began organizing assemblies on college campuses focusing on conversation measures. Since then, new ways to celebrate Earth Day have emerged, so finding things to do on Earth Day won't be hard for you.
1. Plant a Tree
Planting a tree usually happens on Arbor Day, a related observance that takes place the same month as Earth Day. You can combine these celebrations or keep this as a separate activity on one or both days. Either way, planting a tree is one of the most popular things to do for this occasion.
Tree planting traditions specifically to commemorate the strengthening of the earth’s ecosystems has occurred for more than 50 years, according to the Arbor Day Foundation. Some people may even make a week out of it and distribute seeds in multiple locations from Earth Day to Arbor Day every year.
2. Support Garden Pollination
When involved in tree planting or gardening, try to find pollinated plants that attract hummingbirds, bees and butterflies. Introducing pollinated plants in your garden may reduce the number of herbicides and pesticides required to keep your garden growing healthy.
It also makes your garden more eco-friendly, in that it may enhance your flower bed’s beauty without requiring harmful chemicals. A primary benefit of pollination is that it improves food production and cleans up the air, water and ground.
3. Start a Compost Bin
If you don’t have your own garden, save your veggie and greens scraps and bring them to someone you know who has a compost in their yard. You can also include tree branches, grass clippings and other brush in a compost. What's more, you can dispose of your coffee grounds and eggshells here too – oh, and banana peels!
If you prepare your compost right, you’ll begin the production of a longstanding supply of natural fertilizer. It will not burn out your plants or destroy your soil. Adding your biodegradable food waste will serve you better here than in a landfill.
4. Use Solar Power When Possible
Most people have access to sunlight year-round. You can use it to harness the power to run home appliances or to charge small electronic devices. Set up a reusable battery as a place to store your solar power, and it will cut down on the number of batteries you use. It also will reduce the amount of gas or coal you consume and provide you with natural light.
5. Replace Your Light Bulbs
Some fluorescent bulbs, for instance, provide you light while consuming less power. You also could use lower-watt incandescent bulbs, or perhaps remove at least one or two of the light bulbs you have in a ceiling lamp or chandelier. Save the brightness for when you absolutely need it
6. Use Your Car Less
Anytime you can walk or bike to work, do it. Your body will thank you, and so will the earth. Not using your car so much will help you emit less carbon into the air than you consume.
If you feel safe enough to do so, also try public transportation as long as you can keep as comfortable of a distance as possible from other people as you feel would keep you safe.
7. Use Mobile Devices Less
Many people do work at home and require mobile devices and computers for their jobs, and using electronic social media increased after the COVID-19 pandemic. However, if you can find it within yourself to find entertainment outside or without using your mobile device or computer, do it.
Perhaps take your dog for a walk more often or find reasons to connect with people either indoors or outdoors that don’t involve any streaming media. Instead, participate in social activities that involve connecting with other people. Perhaps, Earth Day would be an excellent time to use those board games that often collect dust on people’s shelves.
8. Calculate Your “Carbon Footprint”
Not everyone understands what a “Carbon Footprint” is or how to calculate it and reduce it. Anytime you involve yourself in an activity that requires less use of disposable energy that you used in the past, that’s a start.
Both individuals and businesses can use an online calculator, where they would enter their usage data. If you try it, you will learn how much carbon emissions you release into the air.
By the way, carbon emission examples include how many hours you spend using kitchen appliances or how often you watch TV. Daily work communicating and whether you drive your own car, carpool with others, or take public transportation also make a difference.
You can calculate carbon footprints for any activity from wherever you are even if traveling or at work. In addition, you can calculate how much running your heater or air conditioner affects the environment.
9. Reduce Disposable Food Plastic Purchases
An estimated 10 million tons of plastics end up in the ocean every year. What’s more, about 50% of the plastics made involve single-use bottles or other convenience items, especially bottled water. Furthermore, it takes hundreds of years for plastic to disintegrate when thrown in a landfill.
Brainstorm ways to reduce the use of single-use plastics. For instance, start preparing your own convenience foods in bulk and store them in reusable packaging. Then, freeze them.
If you still have plastic bottles or food containers in your house, perhaps re-purpose them for leftover storage. Otherwise, fill them with water for use in an emergency.
You also may want to find edible items packaged in paper if you can because paper degrades the fastest of all packaging materials. Some people also use paper as a fire starter instead of lighter fluid. Besides, substituting the paper as your starter instead of the gas fluid gives you another idea of how to celebrate earth day.
10. Support Companies Using Minimal Packaging
Some companies opted to use as few packaging materials as possible. For instance, clothing items may not necessarily need a cushion inside the box or envelope. What’s more, sellers now often use shredded paper instead of the plastic “bubble” insulation materials most people are familiar with.
Stay away from manufacturers that feel the need to package an item first in a box, then in an outer wrap, and finally, inside a sealed plastic wrap. Sometimes, this happens for security reasons. However, companies have explored ways to produce merchandise quality items without excess shipping materials.
11. Replace Animal Fabrics With Vegan Ones
You may have not thought of this until now, but that’s okay. Everyone still has quite a bit to learn before countries reach zero emissions by 2050. What this means is, many countries will work toward releasing no more energy or pollution back into the air that they consume. This involves using fewer fossil fuels and toxic chemicals that end up back in the atmosphere.
Replacing animal products could reduce your carbon footprint because they sometimes use less toxic chemicals in the making. Earth Day may inspire you to stop wearing leather, for instance.
How Rothy’s can help you Celebrate Earth Day Everyday with Sustainable Fashion
As we celebrate Earth Day, it is important to remember the impact that our choices have on the environment. By purchasing sustainably crafted women’s shoes and bags, we can reduce our carbon footprint and contribute to a cleaner, healthier planet. That is why at Rothy’s, we prioritize sustainability in our products and are paving the way for a more responsible and conscious fashion industry. We understand the importance of taking care of the environment and believe in closing the loop with circular and sustainable fashion manufacturing.
At Rothy’s, you can't go wrong shopping for comfortable shoes for women. Our diverse selection of women’s flats feels great on your feet and goes with just about anything in your wardrobe. We are committed to helping you look your best with our selection of sustainable women’s tote bags and accessories. By choosing Rothy’s products, you are making a conscious effort to support sustainable fashion and reduce your environmental impact.
Celebrating Earth Day is something that should be done more than once a year. As individuals, we can make a difference by supporting sustainable initiatives and making responsible choices in our own lives. Let us strive to create a more sustainable future for ourselves and for generations to come. At Rothy’s, we are proud to be at the forefront of this movement and encourage everyone to join us in prioritizing sustainability.
