With Earth Day coming up on April 22, have you considered not only what you can do as an individual to be good to Mother Earth but also how you might be able to do even more because you own a business?
The following list (excerpted from the WikiHow Celebrate Earth Day website) of things you can take on yourself to do good for our planet can have much more impact if you promote these ideas with your business. Doing this has a double advantage:
- Doing this as a school, or promoting these notions to your students, has the effect of
multiplying the positive effect you can have on the planet. - Taking on some of these good-for-the-earth ideas as an entire school volunteer thing is an exceptional way to put your business in the most positive light in your community, while building customer loyalty at the same time.
Imagine that: do great ecological things for our planet and promote your business at the same time. What a great way to celebrate Earth Day! Here’s that list:
- Clean up trash – Many groups use the weekend of Earth Day to clear roadways, highways and neighborhood streets of litter that has accumulated since the last clean-up day. Many companies donate gloves and bags for clean-up groups and organize bag pick ups.
Imagine creating an event like this for your entire class, or the parents and families across your school. Talk about making a difference! - Conserve energy – Go ahead and buy those new LED light bulbs you know you need. Replace old appliances and double-check window, door, and attic insulation. Turn off lights when leaving a room or install automatic motion timers on lights.
Make this changeover at your class-based business, and let parents know about it! - Ride a bike or walk – For short trips, consider riding a bike or walking to your local grocer or restaurant. You’ll save money, cut emissions and get exercise all at the same time!
- Reduce, reuse, and recycle all day long – Buy as little as possible and avoid items that come in lots of packaging. Support local growers and producers of food and products – these don’t have to travel as far and so reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Take your drink container with you, and don’t use any disposable plates or cutlery. Recycle all the things you do use for the day or find other uses for things that you no longer use. Carry a cloth bag for carrying things in and recycle your plastic bags.
- Conserve water – As our environment changes more and more due to population and pollution, water will become one of the more scarce resources. Keep a bucket in your shower to fill while the water heats and then use that for your flowers and outdoor plants. Don’t leave water running while brushing your teeth or shaving. You can save hundreds of gallons a year with those two simple ideas.
- Make nature crafts at school or home – Get together with your family and build a birdhouse or make a bird feeder to encourage the local bird population, which plays an important role in every ecosystem.
Something like this could also be done as a voluntary thing at your school when classes are not in session. - Learn more about our environment – Earth Day is a good time to make a commitment to learning more about the environment and how you can help to protect it. Borrow some library books and read up on an issue such as pollution, endangered species, water shortages, recycling, and climate change.
- Buy a carbon offset – Believe it or not, this is a “thing.” Carbon offsets fund reductions in greenhouse gas emissions through projects such as wind farms, that displaces energy from fossil fuels.
- Make the most of your Earth Day!
From the earth-friendly folks at ClassJuggler.com
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