Our Earth is a beautiful place, and we should all do our part to keep it that way. This Earth Day, I’m challenging you to think about a small action you can take to enjoy and protect nature. Too often we think about eco-living from a place of guilt, but Earth-friendly actions can also be inspiring and additive experiences to our lives. Here is a list of 25 ideas for ways you can celebrate Earth Day. I categorized them by the 5 R’s (Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Rot), and added my own categories for Grow, Advocate, Educate, and Explore. I hope these ideas inspire you to think about an area in your life where you can do something to build your sustainable living habits so that every day becomes Earth Day in your home.
Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase. For example, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Refuse and Reduce:
The first step is to stop the cycle of buying by saying “no”. Refuse the plastic bag, plastic straw, extra, unnecessary fast-fashion clothes, or free swag. Say no to paper mail by switching your preference to emailed bills and notifications. Opt not to pick up free swag or samples.
The second R, Reducing, goes hand in hand with refusing. Even when you can’t fully refuse something that isn’t environmentally friendly, you can often reduce how often you support it. For example, plastic packaging is everywhere in grocery stores, but instead of buying individually wrapped cups of applesauce you could buy a larger jar and portion out your own smaller cups at home.
Ideas
- Learn how to shop the bulk bins at grocery stores and try it out the next time you go to the store
- Carry around your reusable bags, produce bags, and cups. Bring reusable food containers to restaurants and take home your leftovers in those instead of plastic or Styrofoam to-go containers
- Switch to bars of soap, lotion, or other body products rather than liquid versions to reduce packing. Check out these instructions for how to make melt and pour soap bars in just 5 minutes.
Reuse:
Reusing items involves repurposing them to give them a second life. Craft talented people can go wild with this as imagination is the limit. But there are also simple ways to reuse things that you might already be doing. For example, passing along hand-me-down clothes for kids or turning old pasta and salsa jars into drinking glasses or vases.
Ideas
- Turn your old rags into reusable paper towels
- Keep envelopes from opened mail for your kids to color on, or turn toilet paper rolls and cardboard boxes into kid crafts
- Use tortilla or bagel bags as dog waste bags
Recycle:
Recycling is the next step down from reusing items because unfortunately only 5-6% of plastic is actually recycled in the U.S. It’s important to learn what can be recycled in your area. For example, plastic grocery bags are often not appropriate for curbside recycling because they can get caught in the recycling machines and cause problems. There may also be restrictions on how the items need to be prepared before they can be recycled. Are you in a place that does single stream recycling, where plastics, glass, aluminum, etc. are placed in a single bin? Or do you need to separate out the recycling by material type? Do certain items need to be cleaned of food waste or dry if they are to be recycled?
If this all seems to be more complicated than it should be, that’s because it is. That symbol of the arrows chasing each other on the bottom of an item is often interpreted to mean that the item can be recycled, but it is actually on there to indicate what kind of plastic resin was used to create the product. Recycling programs around the United States are not standardized, so it can be confusing to know what types of plastic can be recycled where. In addition, the plastic industry likes to promote recycling as a solution, even though they know it is not a viable solution. They do this because if people think that the plastic won’t end up in the environment and stick around for decades then they will have more of a market to keep producing more plastic.
But proper recycling is still better than our waste going into the landfill or the environment!
Ideas
- Look up recycling information for your area
- Check the lid on your recycling container to make sure it is properly closed so that the wind doesn’t scatter the debris
- Call your local recycling center to see if you and your family can go on a tour
Rot:
The final R is rot, and this means turning organic waste into useful material through composting. Composting is a great way to reduce food waste and have a happy garden. Starting a compost is easier and less expensive than you might think, and there are ways to start whether you live in an apartment or have a backyard. You can read my post on starting a compost pile here.
Ideas
- Start a composting bin or vermicompost, or see if your city accepts food waste in addition to yard waste
- Do a food waste audit
- Involve your kids in composting. Talk to them about the science of decomposition and having them contribute to the composting process
These 5 R’s are listed in the order that they should be prioritized. We should start by looking at the ways we can reduce the production of new materials, then reuse and repurpose items, then recycle or compost.
There are other things you can do outside of the 5 R’s to celebrate Earth Day as well.
Grow or appreciate some plants:
Is it just me, or are plants underrated? They give us oxygen to breathe, they are incredibly diverse, and they have developed their own ways to communicate, spread, and survive. Plants are great for having in your house or garden. Not to mention some are very tasty. If you are looking to incorporate more plants into your diet to reduce your carbon footprint or to be healthier, check out my post on how to transition to a plant-based diet in one week.
Ideas
- Plant a tree
- Start a pollinator garden
- Eat vegan for the day, or try a new vegan recipe
Advocate:
It can be very impactful to advocate for the environment. By talking to others about nature, we can reflect on how important the Earth is in our lives. We can also promote policies that preserve wilderness for future generations.
Ideas
- Talk to someone about your favorite natural landscape and how you can help to protect it
- Participate in a clean up event, or walk around your neighborhood with a trash bag and pick up litter
- Donate to an environmental protection non-profit group or write a letter to your representative about environmental legislation
Educate:
There is always more to learn about the Earth. You can travel back in time by visiting a natural history museum or explore parts of the world you might not otherwise see by watching nature films. Or educate others about sustainable living by talking to students or your own children about ways they can be good stewards of the Earth. Some nature centers might even have special activities to celebrate Earth Day.
Ideas
- Visit a natural history museum
- Watch a nature documentary
- Talk to your children about the importance of Earth Day, or if you want to literally celebrate Earth Day you can have them throw the Earth a (zero waste) party
Explore:
Traveling to national parks or just taking a walk in your neighborhood are great ways to breathe some fresh air and enjoy the outdoors. Earth Day falls in the spring so it is usually a good time of year to explore. Take some time to admire blooming flowers or listen for birds.
Ideas
- Plan your next outdoor adventure
- Go on a hike or walk
- Encourage your kids get muddy by rolling down hills, finding worms, or jumping in puddles
I hope this list helps you feel inspired to take a small action to appreciate nature today. What are you favorite ways to celebrate Earth Day?
