Earth Day is Thursday, April 22 and even though we are still living in “COVID times” there are plenty of ways you can celebrate the day and honor mother earth! (outside of binge watching every episode of Captain Planet)!
GET OUTSIDE
Take a hike, walk around your neighborhood, or plant a garden. Getting outside is a great way to celebrate the day and entertaining yourself without a car or electricity is an act of kindness for the world around you. Gwinnett County has some amazing parks & greenspaces. Find one near you by visiting Gwinnett County Parks & Recreation online.
RECYCLE
Recycling is such an easy way to make a positive impact on the planet. Most cities in Gwinnett offer a recycling option along with your normal trash service. Reach out to your local provider for more details. Have some of those unique items that need to be recycled? Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful (GC&B) is hosting their annual Earth Day collection event on Saturday, April 24th where they will offer free paper shredding and recycling of tires, electronics and paint.
VOLUNTEER
The team at GC&B also needs community champions to help clean up litter. Anyone who is interested, can select a road close to their home, or if you would like help identifying one, GC&B is happy to help. Volunteers will be equipped with cleanup supplies, a safety vest, gloves, trash bags and litter grabbers. If road clean up is your thing, you can commit to an ongoing cleanup of the same road and join the official Adopt-a-Road program. For more info… visit gwinnettcb.org
MAKE SUSTAINABLE SWAPS
Toss out your single-use plastics, get on the reusable straw train, make your own cleaning products and ditch your paper towels for a cloth dish towel — These are just a few of the clean, sustainable swaps you can make in your home to reduce waste and lessen your carbon footprint.
PLANT A TREE
Trees not only look beautiful and provide shade, they naturally clean the air and have been proven to increase your property value! Did you know that Gwinnett County is home to 10 official “Tree Cities”? Each year the Arbor Day Foundation honors cities across the country for their commitment to effective urban forest management by naming them as a Tree City USA. Berkeley lake, Duluth, Grayson, Lilburn, Loganville, Norcross, Peachtree Corners, Snellville, Sugar Hill and Suwanee all received this designation in 2020 for their work in 2019.
LOOKING FOR MORE IDEAS?
Try buying from your local farmer’s market, organizing a carpool or riding your bike, shop second-hand clothing, opt for paperless billing, turn the faucet off when you brush your teeth, wash your clothes in cold water, or bring your own reusable cup to your favorite coffee shop!
Check out GwinnettCB.org for more ideas on how to help Mother Earth!