How to Celebrate Earth Day at Home

 

 

The 22nd of April is Earth Day. A day to celebrate, discuss, and discover the wonders of the Earth and how to protect them now and for the future. This year, Earth Day marks its 50th anniversary. Although we cannot take to the streets or attend public events, we still have the ability to connect with each other and the world around us from our own homes.

 

At Ziffit, we recognise three types of ways to love the environment around us.

 

1. Proactive - Making decisions that will prevent waste and encourage positive growth
2. Reactive - Developing behaviours that change our lifestyle bit by bit to increase sustainability
3. Appreciative - Engaging in activities that help us reconnect with and respect the natural world

 

Saving and Sorting

 

While at home this Earth Day, a great way to celebrate proactively is to create meal plans. Whether for yourself or a whole family household, planning meals in advance is an excellent way to prevent food waste as well as save money. You could also try batch cooking as another way to save power on a daily basis. Sorting your meals in advance will help you know exactly what you need to buy on shopping trips and may even encourage healthier, more fulfilling meals.
 

Are you a houseplant fanatic or a green-fingered gardener? Set a receptacle outside your house to collect rainwater. Not only great for watering your plants indoors or out, but non-drinkable rainwater can also be used for cleaning to save on valuable tap water.
 

Another way to spend this Earth Day is to declutter, Though you may not be able to sell or donate everything yet, you can spend some quality time sorting your old and unwanted goods into piles and boxes ready for selling or donating to charity when you are able. Decluttering is great for mental wellbeing and maintaining your physical space You might even find some useful things you forgot you had! And don’t forget, Ziffit are still here to buy your unwanted books, DVDs, and games too.

Turning Off

 

On Earth Day, remind your family, friends, and yourself to turn off taps when they’re not in use - this includes while brushing your teeth! Remember to turn off lights when they aren’t needed and plug sockets that aren’t powering anything you’re using. Even devices that are idle and on standby use electricity. These reactive behaviours can become new habits and make a real difference.
 

Want to go even further? Why not challenge your family and friends in their individual households to ‘turn off’ from all smart devices? See who can last the longest without checking social media or watching TV! Honesty is key with this one. A hardcore celebration of Earth Day could include limiting your use of electricity even further. Have a candlelit dinner for an eco-friendly date night or go the entire day doing activities that require zero screen time. If you need to use electronics for work, why not try to keep your free-time screen-free?

Tuning In

 

We mean the natural way. Earth Day is not just a day of saving and preserving, but also appreciating what the environment around us has to offer. Try going for your daily walk or exercise while leaving your smart devices at home. Listen out for the sounds of nature, the birds or the wind through the trees. Look around for the things that aren’t man-made. Even in built-up areas, you can find a tree bursting through concrete or insects pollinating flowerbeds.
 

Do you have kids to celebrate Earth Day with? If you have a garden, why not go on a minibeast trail? Set the kids the task of finding five different types of insects. This will let them have fun without screens while learning, and appreciating some of the smallest things on the Earth. If you don’t have a garden then you could take the children to a local green space and collect some fallen leaves and flowers to take home and draw, examine, or print or press.
 

Even though Earth Day 2020 is indoors this year, we won’t be indoors forever! Why not spend your day planning a trip to a wildlife or nature conservation park? You could also research ways to get involved with preservation groups in your local community, whether that’s local beach clean-ups or building planters on your estate. Getting together with others is a perfect way to share your appreciation this Earth Day, even if it is only virtually, for now.

 

‘I see Earth! It is so beautiful’ - Yuri Gagarin

What are you doing for Earth Day 2020? Do you have any ideas on how to celebrate at home? Let us know!