When you change your way of thinking to Earth-first, you’re also putting so many communities first. Let Earth Month be your springboard into a more eco and people-conscious way of life with these 10 ideas!
South Africa (21 April 2024) — Every year, Earth Day is celebrated on 22 April. But, like so many other international days of importance, it’s not just about a single day. This day is a reminder to be mindful during all the other days of the year because all the days we make an effort (and all the days we do not) add up significantly. If Earth Month is anything for you, let it be your springboard into years of more eco-consciousness.
By now, most of us are well aware that environmental decline can impact almost every realm of our lives. Not just the ecosystems that rely on a delicate structure of environmental health to survive in parts of the world we’ve never seen. Nor just the species that call these ecosystems home. People’s livelihoods, food security, water security, and so much more, are all to be considered. But, the UN Decade is rapidly ticking down, and the time for action is now.
It’s easy to feel helpless when challenges seem great. But hope lies in every person who changes their way of thinking and, more importantly, their way of doing!
10 Little Ways to Make a Difference This Earth Month and Beyond
- Join a community clean-up organisation! You can find one in your province here.
- Learn how to upcycle—here are some fabulous businesses and organisations you can draw inspiration from and support.
- Recycle mindfully—it’s both a source of income for people and a way to reduce our waste problems (but there are more reasons it matters). Mindful recycling means learning what can and can’t be recycled to influence your purchasing decisions, separating items, and helping the circular economy.
- Choose slow-made or thrifted finds over fast fashion. Especially when you buy from charity shops, you’re helping solve more than one problem.
- Rethink consumption patterns and join the Joyful Closet Consumption Challenge—a year long experiment for yourself, with helpful resources.
- Be mindful of appliances and e-waste (electronic waste). If you can’t repair something electronic yourself, give it to an artist or send it off to those who are in the business of repairing! For appliances, TBC has an excellent repair programme that doubles as a social upliftment initiative.
- Collect items like plastic, for social and educational initiatives. The Sweethearts, Tops and Tags for Wheelchairs, GOBY and many others make waste go much further.
- Be an advocate! Hold businesses accountable for eco-unfriendly choices, and stand up to greenwashing.
- Encourage more school food gardens. These help connect young people to the Earth in a practical way, and can equip them with skills that combat food insecurity.
- Challenge your community to do better, together. Whether that means tackling problems head-on like Better Bedford, Gearing up to break a world record like Save a Fishie or being the unsung helpers like Tidy Towns, change comes when people come together.
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