What is Earth Day?
Earth day is an annual event held on the 22nd of April annually to demonstrate international support for environmental protection and conservation.
What is the theme for Earth Day 2024?
The theme for Earth Day 2024 is Planet vs. Plastics. This theme is to raise awareness of the health and environmental risk of single use plastics. The theme also is to highlight the use of plastics in fast fashion and push for a UN Treaty on Plastic Pollution.
What can you do for Earth Day 2024?
- Reduce usage of single use plastic bottles- one simple way to do this is to buy a reusable water bottle and keep it somewhere handy for use when you are on the go. According to Hammersmith and Fulham council in the UK we use 35 million plastic bottles a year. You can use the refill app on a smartphone to find locations where you can fill up your water bottle free of charge. Alternatively resturants and coffee shops will often be happy to do this for you as well. Click here to see Good Housekeepings guide and review on good reusable water bottles.
- Use a reusable coffee cup- As part of their commitment to reduce plastic waste eateries will generally give a small discount on the cost of your beverage to customers who bring a reusable cup. Reusuable coffee cups are often more insulated than single-use counterparts and will keep your drink hot or cold for longer. Click here to see the independents round up of the best reusable coffee cups and travel mugs.
- Use reusable shopping bags- As of the 21st of May 2021 all retailers regardless of size or location must charge a fee of 10p for single use carrier bags. This has led to a drop of 85% in the use of single-use carrier bags. Reusable bags are stronger than their plastic counterparts and may save your shopping from accidents too. MyLondon has an interesting review of the best supermarket reusable shopping bags here.
- Give up traditional chewing gum- traditional chewing gum brands found in most major supermarkets is made of polyvinyl acetate which is a type of plastic. This is why when it is stuck to surfaces outdoors it doesn't break down and leaves a shiny mark. Switching to a plastic free alternative brand can cut down your plastic footprint. Click here for an in depth look at the types of plastics in gum and the alternative brands from the Metro.
- Switching shampoo and shower gel- a survey commissioned by the hair care brand weDo in 2021 found that the average adult in the UK disposes of 312 plastic bottles a year and one of the particular hotspots was the bathroom. One option to reduce plastic use is to switch from a traditional shampoo brand to a bar or refillable option. Good Housekeeping recently completed a review of 20 shampoo bars woth 650 testers, click here to find out more. Moral fibres have a good guide on plastic free conditioning products here. And for those looking for a replacement plastic free shower gel click here for the Independents take on the problem.
- Say no to disposable cutlery- in 2019 Forbes reported that 40 billion plastic utensils were thrown away each year. These items are often not recyclable and end up in landfill sites. Many brands now offer reusable cutlery in small light containers which can be a good alternative when eating on the go or you can use cutlery from home wrapped in a tea towel.
- Disposable razors- they are a convenient option for shaving allowing for between 3 and 10 uses per razor. However, they are a large source of single use plastics sent to landfill. In 2018 approximately 5.5 million people in Britain used disposal razors. A reusable option to disposable razors are safety a safety razor made of either bamboo or stainless steel. These can be cheaper in the long run as only the blade needs replacing. Beeco has a good guide to the pros and cons of different brands of plastic free razors here.
- Buying fruit and vegetables loose- most supermarkets have packaging free options for most fresh fruit and vegetables. If you would like to bag them for protection, retailers do sell canvas and canvas string bags for this purpose, which could be of use. The Idependant has an interesting guide to produce bags, click here to find out more.
- Use plastic free packaging or reusable where possible- for example instead of using a laundry detergent packaged in a plastic bottle you could switch to a brand that uses cardboard packaging which is much easier to recycle. Alternatively some brands now offer a refillable option which could be a good switch. The Good Housekeeping guide as a roundup of more eco friendly laundry detergents here.
- Complete a sustainability sweep- this is a simple method to take stock of what you use in your home and life that contains plastic particularly single use plastic. Then you can look into swapping some products to a more eco-friendly option. For example, if you wrap your sandwhiches in clingfilm one easy swap could be to use a reusable beeswax food wrap or bamboo and glass sandwhich box. Another simple swap is to swap to a bamboo scrubbing brush for dishes instead of plastic. Click here for a simple guide for little ways you can reduce your overall carbon footprint.
You don't have to do everything all at once, small steps are easier to manage and can have a big impact overall.
Sources
Hammersmith & Fulham- 15 top tips to help you reduce your single-use plastic waste
Daily Record- up to 50p off at Pret and Starbucks
GOV.UK Guidance- Carrier bag charges: retailers' responsibilities
BBC Science Focus- What is in chewing gum?
Independent- UK bathrooms home more than 152 tonnes of empty plastic bottles, says survey
Forbes- Plastic cutlery is terrible for the environment and we don't need to have it delivered
Medium- The waste problem with plastic disposal razors: sustainable development goals in action
The Guardian- Plastic packaging increases fresh food waste, study finds
Planet Ark- Give your home a sustainable sweep- here are 5 tips to get you started