Amidst this COVID-19 situation, we’ve been sharing love to our family, friends and heroes on all fronts. Entering April, we want everyone to also share their love to the Earth!
Although Earth Day is on April 22, we also think that the Earth deserves to have this whole month for itself. To begin with, what exactly is Earth Day? In brief, it is the day in which the movement of caring for the environment and being conscious of how we are affecting the state of our planet is celebrated! It is both a celebration and a call-to-action to every individual around the globe, and by giving this movement a channel and a voice, this makes the environmental concerns at the top of everyone’s to-do-list.
After a massive oil spill in California in 1969, Senator Gaylord Nelson decided to advocate for the idea of a national day to focus on the environment, hoping to introduce more environmental protection into the national political agenda. This day spread from scattered groups in the US to becoming a global mobilization effort for the environment. As we witness increasingly devastating effects of climate change, people around the planet have been demanding more ways to protect the environment and encouraging others to join.
There are various things that we can do to be part of the Earth Day movement. To join in, there is no need for extravagant or fancy activities, in fact many of the actions we suggest are quite small. Yet, all these small actions together can make a huge impact for this month.
Save money, save Earth
If your office is close by, don’t drive to work, try cycling, walking or light jogging. Alternatively, if the office is a bit farther away you can take public transportation or carpool with your colleagues living nearby. Either way you are saving on money and reducing CO2 emissions to the environment around you.
Home energy assessment
Take this opportunity to check and fix leaky pipes/faucets and replace any light bulbs into more energy efficient and eco-friendly ones. All of this may take some time and effort, but it is a small investment for long term sustainability.
Use less is not useless
There are many things in your everyday life that you can use less of and in return sustain or even improve your level of well-being. For starters, we can reduce the number of plastic water bottles. This can be done in a practical way by carrying a water bottle or a chic tumbler around with you and filling up water at designated water stations. Using cloth bags as an alternative to plastic bags is also a great option for those going shopping. As long as we are reusing and not wasting, no action is useless.
Going digital
Use less paper either for work or personal reasons. You can opt for e-bills and online invoices rather than having them sent to you as paper statements. This can save so many trees from being chopped down every year. Same goes for the workplace, where all the documents can be sent and saved online, and only print when necessary.
Education & Learning by Zero Waste Shanghai
For April, Zero Waste is hosting a series of great activities to help you celebrate Earth Day even further.
For companies: Check our article 5 activities your company can do to celebrate Earth Day.
Earth Day for parents and Kids: an e-learning class by Alizeé B, Zero Waste Shanghai, founder. She will talk about the problem of waste and how kids (6-12yo) can become a zero waste/ Earth Day Hero with 7 challenges! More info here.
For for decision-makers and CSR managers: P.A.C.E (Pivoting-to-a-Circular-Economy): online Sustainability course for decision-makers and CSR managers in Small Medium Sized companies. Coming soon.
Follow our Wechat or Instagram account to learn more about an Earth Day challenge, compost bin tutorial and many more fun events.
These are just only just a few suggestions that YOU can do now, and they are simple changes you can make to help yourself and the earth you are living in. Call your friends and family to try at least one thing and collectively make the impact bigger. But keep in mind to always stay safe and healthy during these times. Let’s join forces with other individuals who want to do good for the environment all around the globe. As long as you are willing, any simple acts of improving the environment around you will turn a ripple into a big wave of impact.
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