This year is the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, and there are a lot of ways we can celebrate this year despite social distancing, whether it’s learning something new, making a zero waste swap, tackling one area you’ve been wanting lately to change, or participating in a one-time activity. Here are 101 ideas. The hope with this list is that there is something for everyone!
So here goes….
1 – Explore the “Earth Day” website to see how you can get involved
2 – Calculate your carbon footprint here
3 – Plant some seeds
4 – Make a meatless meal (like this one)
5 – Refuse to buy plastic packaging on one or more items on your next grocery trip
6 – Switch one of your bills to paperless
7 – Cancel one flyer delivery
8 – Take political action by signing a petition
9 – Start following an environmental community coalition on social media (like Plastic Pollution Coalition or For Our Kids)
10 – Make your own shampoo or buy an unpackaged shampoo bar (like this one)
11 – Repurpose one item in your recycling bin
12 – Learn to mend
13 – Go 24 hours without turning on any lights
14 – Hang dry your next laundry load
15 – The next item you need to purchase, buy it locally
16 – Turn off the water while lathering during your next shower
17 – Bake your own package-free bread (see recipe here)
18 – Do a 10 x 10 Challenge or a Project 333 Challenge with your wardrobe
19 – Build a capsule wardrobe
20 – Make your own deodorant
21 – Collect old unusable clothes and cut them up to use as rags
22 – Keep your plastic bags, wash & reuse them
23 – Read about why plastic is a problem here
24 – Make at home something you normally would buy packaged (ex: granola, crackers, pesto).
25 – Wash your next laundry load on a cold water cycle
26 – Donate to an environmental charity
27 – Meal plan for the following week to reduce food waste
28 – Save your veggie scraps to either regrow or make veggie broth
29 – Adjust your thermostat 1-2 degrees
30 – Educate yourself on how to have a sustainable wardrobe
31 – Save the containers your food comes in (yogurt, sour cream, jam jars), wash them & reuse
32 – Save your toothbrush and use it as a cleaning device
33 – Look around your house prior to making your next purchase to see if there was something you could repurpose instead
34 – Buy a device to collect micro fibers in your laundry, (such as Guppy Friend)
35 – Read about the problem with micro fibers here
36 – Buy a reusable coffee pod instead of the disposable ones
37 – Repurpose an old t-shirt into a produce bag (watch tutorial here)
38 – Learn about greenwashing here
39 – Make your own hand soap, or buy it unpackaged
40 – Join a Buy Nothing Challenge
41 – Implement the Buyerarchy of Needs for your next purchase
42 – Learn what is recyclable at your local municipal facility
43 – Make your own lip balm
44 – Buy a menstrual cup, period underwear, or reusable pads
45 – Do a nature scavenger hunt with your kids (see more nature activities for kids here)
46 – Use a plastic-free container for the next item to be thrown in the freezer
47 – Make your own multi-purpose cleaner
48 – Buy directly from a farmer in your area
49 – Learn about your local seasonal foods here
50 – Buy in-season produce your next shopping trip
51 – Collect rain water or save your indoor grey water to reuse for your garden
52 – Switch to a bamboo toothbrush
53 – Buy a bidet (like this one)
54 – Switch to a reusable coffee filter (like this one)
55 – Switch to a reusable loose leaf tea holder (like this one)
56 – Make your own toothpaste or buy zero waste toothpaste
57 – Choose not to spray your lawn with pesticides this Spring
58 – Opt to go for a walk or bike ride rather than a drive in your car
59 – Switch to a reusable razor
60 – Read about the dangers of consumption & the environment here
61 – Support your local bulk store
62 – Switch to a vegan milk (oat or coconut)
63 – Switch to unpackaged body soap
64 – Plan a zero waste or plastic-free at home birthday
65 – Make your own moisturizer
66 – Have a picnic outside
67 – Learn how to properly dispose of your cell phones, batteries, etc.
68 – Switch to reusable snack bags
69 – Switch to plastic-free floss
70 – Make the switch to LED light bulbs
71 – Unplug your appliances when not in use
72 – Fix any drain drip you might have in your home
73 – Switch to reusable facial wipes/makeup removers by cutting up old fabric
74 – Stop using plastic water bottles
75 – Refuse to idle your car
76 – Switch to reusable food wraps
77 – Turn off the water flow while you lather your hands or brush your teeth
78 – Switch to a low-flow shower head
79 – Switch to rechargeable, reusable batteries
80 – Unsubscribe to junk mail
81 – Opt for a paperless receipt when offered
82 – Shop at your local Farmer’s Market (if still open)
83 – Plant a tree
84 – Commit to at least a weeks worth of no processed frozen meals
85 – Start composting your food waste
86 – Manually wash your dishes and/or clothes
87 – Research environmentally sustainable & ethical clothing/shoe brands
88 – Join a local group that is actively helping the environment
89 – Go for a walk and explore nature
90 – Collect litter while on your walk
91 – Conduct a household “Waste Audit”
92 -Begin a zero waste challenge
93 – Install a nature playground for your kids instead of a plastic one
94 – Write a letter or email to your local representative about your concern about the future of our environment
95 – Make a list of your Waste Less Goals for 2020
96 – Start a Bee Garden
97 – Opt for a chemical-free alternative
98 – Build a birdhouse
99 – Commit to participating in a plastic-free challenge, such as Plastic Free July
100 – Share what you’re doing with others, including sharing in the comments below letting me know what you did to celebrate
101 – Celebrate Earth Day EVERYDAY!
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