International Earth Day is on April 22, 2020, and it's always a really fun holiday to celebrate! Now that we are experiencing a period of social distancing, though, it might feel tough to come up with ways you can enjoy the holiday without being around groups of people. Never fear!
One of the great things about International Earth Day is that it's actually super easy to celebrate at home. Typically, communities around the world hold events that allow everyone to connect and do something together to make our shared home a little shinier — but it doesn't have to be like that. In the spirit of the times, there are plenty of ways to focus on doing your part for your immediate surroundings. Then you can tell your friends about what you and your family are doing, and just watch the ripple effect that it has.
Here are seven ideas for celebrating International Earth Day from the comfort of your own home (and here's hoping this time next year we are all holding hands with our friends and celebrating this great rock we live on).
1. Switch over to e-billing.
A lot of us still receive paper bills, which is OK … but think how great it would be if most of us didn't. It's not too hard to switch over to receiving e-bills instead, and you can still get notifications emailed or texted to you before something is due so you can keep up with it. I know not everyone can put their bills on auto-pay, but receiving an e-bill isn't that different from receiving a paper bill, except that you're saving some trees in the process.
2. Learn more about why we need Earth Day in the first place.
There's no time like the present to dive into all the reasons why we celebrate Earth Day and what kinds of initiatives are set up in places around the world to help our planet. Then, after you and your family are armed with your new knowledge, you can put together posts and even slideshows or videos that explain why Earth Day matters to your family and friends.
3. Set up a home recycling station.
A lot of us are lucky enough to live in cities that offer recycling as an option for getting rid of our waste, but we don't always take advantage of it like we should. But that's OK because you can always start! Take some time to learn the ins and outs of recycling, find out what your local facility will and won't recycle, and set up your home recycling station together.
4. Check your faucets!
A lot of us might never think about it, but a leaky faucet can be a serious drain on our resources. (Y'all see what I did there?) But seriously: It's not too challenging to go around the house, make sure the faucets are in tip-top shape, and tighten them up if they aren't. Your kids can definitely help, and you can use the experience to have a meaningful conversation about the intention behind your action.
5. Ditch the bottled water.
For a lot of us, there's no real reason to drink bottled water. Often, it comes from the same source our tap water comes from anyway. You might like the taste, but is that more important than helping correct the environmental damage that bottled water companies have wreaked on the planet? Or helping to mitigate the huge amount of plastic that ends up in landfills?
6. Take a hike. (No, really.)
There's nothing like actually experiencing the Earth to make you appreciate it a little bit more. We might be practicing social distancing, but you can still get outside and roam around — just be smart about it. A lot of trails are open, national parks are free right now, and if you're keeping your distance from others, there's no reason why your family can't appreciate them.
7. Come up with a list of other changes you can all make together.
So while you can't do some of the more community-based Earth Day celebrations right now, you can still come up with a list of planet-friendly things your family wants to try to accomplish this year. Do you have a spot in your yard to plant a tree or two? Add it to the list, and visit your local nursery when you can.
