It’s the 50th anniversary of Earth Day today, April 22, 2020. This year’s theme is “24 hours of action.” The goal is to drive actions big and small, give diverse voices a platform, and demand bold action for people and the planet. Even though this year is a bit different from past Earth Day celebrations, there is still plenty you can do to help make our world a little better.
What You Can Do for Earth Day
Take action with the great global solo cleanup. Today is the day to commit to safely and independently (aka social distancing) going and cleaning up your neighborhood to make this planet a little better – one piece at a time.
Citizen science is another great way to get outside and help gather necessary info. This Earth Day, join the Earth Challenge and gather important scientific data by measuring air quality and plastic pollution. Learn more about becoming a citizen scientist here.
Recycle your old electronics properly! Electronic waste is a big problem we face. Each year, about 150 million phones are discarded in just the United States alone! You can search online for organizations near you that will accept old smartphone, tablet, or laptop donations so they can be recycled. Verizon also takes recycling very seriously.
Use the EC2020 app to document your air quality! The Earth Day Network has partnered with the Wilson Center to create this air quality recording tool that works on a smartphone. This app records images of the horizon, and the images are added to a global database, which shows how air quality varies as well as the effects human activity has on these trends.
E-learn with the Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA put created environmental education resources you can use with your child. View the EPA’s recommendations here.
Earth Day Stats
• 79% of all plastics ever produced have accumulated in landfills and the natural environment
• The average person makes 4 pounds of trash a day.
• A glass container can go from a recycling bin to a store shelf in 30 days.
What are you doing to celebrate Earth Day today? Tell us in the comments!
Need to recycle some of your old electronics? Wireless Zone® can help.