Join The Great Global Cleanup April 2021
Celebrated every April 22nd since 1970, the theme for Earth Day 2021 is “Restore Our Earth”. As the global climate worsens, Earth Day continues to gain significance by raising awareness and bringing millions of people together, all working on critical issues such as global warming, pollution, and the vanishing rainforests. This year, EarthDay.org is looking to every single person to “be a part of the change.”
Restore Our Earth Defined by EarthDay.org:
”Focusing on natural processes and emerging green technologies that can restore the world’s ecosystems. In this way, the theme rejects the notion that mitigation or adaptation are the only way to address climate change.”
The official Earth Day site is offering a wide range of events, activities, educational seminars, youth summits, and personal and civic actions steps anyone can be part of. Check their website for all the information. We’re sharing one specific enterprise of The Great Global Clean up below.
Highest Plastic Waste In The World
This year Earth Day and World Cleanup Day are targeting cigarette butt pollution. It is not widely known, but cigarette butts are the most prolific form of plastic waste, out ranking plastic bottles. An estimated 4.5 trillion individual butts are polluting our global environment right now.
- Made primarily of plastic (no cotton as believed).
- Also composed of cellulose acetate, a man-made plastic material that contains hundreds of toxic chemicals.
- Cigarette filters, or the plastic part of butts, can take up to 10 years to completely degrade.
- Meanwhile the chemicals they release can remain in the environment for many more years beyond the life of the cigarette butt itself.
- These toxins include arsenic, lead, and nicotine, which leach into our natural systems, and are a serious threat to our environment.
- Hiding almost everywhere, cigarette butts are small and tend to go unnoticed.
- Not a significantly fun activity, but picking up cigarette butts off the streets and nature trails in your local community is a great way to participate.
- Use gloves and masks for safety.
Share your cleanup efforts with pictures and videos. Send to [email protected].
Have You Heard of Plogging?
Plogging (noun): Picking up litter while jogging.
Plogging is an eco-friendly exercise through which people pick up trash while jogging or walking as a way to clean up litter and also take care of their health. Individual cleanups are just as important as group efforts; one person can make a big difference. Every piece of litter removed from the environment counts. This is a conscious step to incorporate Earth Day awareness every day and join in the Global Clean Up.
Local Green Action
One business in the heart of the Bay Area with a second location in Phoenix, A.Z., is walking the sustainable talk. Literally incorporated into their founding mission, Remoov did not want to be just another junk hauling service; their goal had a broader vision. To simply stop adding to our landfills.
By offering a one-stop service where they collect, then sell, donate, or responsibly recycle all items you no longer want, Remoov has had a significant impact on mitigating landfill waste. Check out the numbers here.
Chose Used
An offshoot of Remoov’s selling services of unwanted items has created a second hand shopper’s paradise, The Local Flea. This pre-owned warehouse sized shopping arcade continues to keep products from ending up in landfill wastelands. This action alone saves resources across the board, from raw materials, to energy, to water waste, and toxic emissions from overfilled garbage dumps.
Chose Green
Choosing to add ‘green’ actions into your life is not only personally beneficial, but has a positive impact on your community and society as a whole. Each one of us can take simple steps to reduce air pollution, which in turn keeps us healthier longer, reducing the amount of extremely harmful toxins absorbed by the body. Join the movement. Happy Earth Day!
#gogreen #ecofriendly #zerowaste #nature #sustainability #environment #green #savetheplanet #sustainable #recycle #sustainableliving #plasticfree #climatechange #eco #reuse #noplastic #handmade #renewableenergy #earth #solarenergy #savetheearth #solar #plants #love #greenliving #solarpower #saveearth #earthday #earth #nature #earthdayeveryday #happyearthday #climatechange #environment #savetheplanet #love #ecofriendly #sustainability #recycle #motherearth #green #gogreen #zerowaste #naturelovers #mothernature #planetearth
P.S.
If you feel moved to make a bigger, lasting change in your life, take a look at the thoughts from Commune writer Jake on living in a sustainable community.