How to Celebrate Earth Day This April 2023

Ever wonder how Earth Day began? The first Earth Day was held on April 22, 1970, when San Francisco activist John McConnell and Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson separately asked Americans to join in a grassroots demonstration. Dealing with dangerously serious issues concerning toxic drinking water, air pollution, and the effects of pesticides, an impressive 20 million Americans—10% of the population—ventured outdoors and protested together. President Richard Nixon led the nation in creating the Environmental Protection Agency, which was followed by the implementation of successful laws such as the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, and the Endangered Species Act—a bonafide win for the American people through and through!

This year is no different—we’re still celebrating earth day on the 22nd of April! This annual celebration is an opportunity to raise awareness and advocate for change around the issues most impacting our planet—and to celebrate the beauty of Mother Earth. While the urgency of climate justice should inspire us all to spring to action on Earth Day, so should the exciting progress we’re already making. And so, this coming Earth Day, we invite you to look for fellow green thumbs in your area, make your own meaningful changes for the planet, and tap into your uninhibited inner passions as a boundless resource for resistance and change are to only start with people like you.

It’s important to remember regardless of where you are or what you do, you have the power to yield real change and be a champion for Earth. To protect our planet, we must invest in it. Thus, we’ve gathered some fun ideas to celebrate and nurture the planet, while also keeping your utmost safety in mind by reminding to always stock up on 1st Choice nitrile disposable industrial gloves for the ultimate barrier protection against unwanted harm and accidental injury of any kind.

Reduce Waste

• Reduce – Try to fix old things before buying new things. Buy used items whenever possible.

• Reuse – Whenever possible, opt for reusable versions of popular disposable items, including water bottles, coffee cups, diapers, razors. Reuse plastic food containers for storage. Don’t just throw away unwanted items. Donate them. Repurpose them. Turn them into craft projects. Be creative!

• Recycle – We all know to do it by now, but a reminder never hurts. It can be so easy to just toss that one tin can into the trash, just this one time. By being conscientious about everything you throw in the trash, recycling will become second nature.

• Compost – When you say “recycle,” most people think of bottles, cans, and paper. Composting is nature’s original way of recycling—turning “trash” into healthy new soil. You don’t need a complicated bin, just set aside a corner of your yard to dump out food scraps and biodegradable debris, and turn it over every so often. Don’t have a yard? Many cities, towns, and community gardens have a public compost pile. Or try worm composting if you haven’t yet! Keep your hands protected by making use of our premium 1st Choice 6-mil black nitrile disposable industrial gloves when composting, so you’re always ready for another round every time!

Eat Green

• Eat locally – By eating foods that are in season, and grown in your local area, you not only support your local ecosystems, but your food will also be fresher and require less fuel (and carbon output) to get to you. If possible, grow your own vegetables—our 1st Choice premium orange nitrile disposable industrial gloves offer great protection while working in the garden.

• Eat less meat – Environmental advocates and health experts—as well as hardcore vegans—agree that most of the American population eat too much meat. Cutting out meat for even one day a week can help to reduce the environmental impacts of meat production, and it’s good for your health, too!

Conserve Household Resources

• Turn it off – If you leave a room, turn off the lights. Same with the television, the stereo, or any other appliance. Switch to LED lights if possible.

• Be water wise – Take shorter showers. Wait until you have a full load of laundry. Shut off the water when brushing your teeth or hand washing dishes.

• Hang it up – Instead of using the clothes dryer, hang clothes up to dry, whether inside or outside the house. You only need to toss clothes into the dryer for about 10 minutes if you miss that soft, “out-of-the-dryer” feeling.

• Beware of phantoms – Those little red or green lights you see when you turn off your computer, DVD player, TV, etc., require power to light up. Unplug these things when they’re not in use or put them on a power strip you can switch on an off.