Earth Day is an annual event created to celebrate the planet's environment and raise public awareness about pollution. Started as a grassroots movement in 1970, the idea for Earth Day was proposed by then-Sen. Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin. The day, marked on April 22, is now observed worldwide with rallies, conferences, outdoor activities and service projects.
This year, the theme of Earth Day is "Protect Our Species". We are facing a new mass extinction, and the loss of a species is irreversible. The cause of extinction is overexploitation of species in food, labor and trade.
ENDA is an official partner of Earth Day, and we are delighted to be celebrating this monumental day together. We'd like to highlight four things we can do in our everyday life that can help protect our species.
1. REDUCE OUR OVERALL CONSUMPTION
Most of us are guilty of overloading our closets yet it is less likely for us to stop consuming all at once. Spring is a perfect time to re-organize and re-evaluate our wardrobes. Editing your closet will not only give you a sense of sanity but also let you see what you have and don't have. Understanding your closet will help your future purchases significantly. ENDA's motto is to produce fewer and better. Choose items ethically and sustainably made.
2. AVOID CONSUMING WILDLIFE PRODUCTS OR ANIMAL-DERIVED PRODUCTS AT ALL.
Think twice before making a purchase of a product that could have been made from wildlife. Also, it is proven that leather manufacturing is 4-8 times more harmful to the environment than polyester.
3. PREVENT SINGLE-USE PLASTIC AND REMEMBER TO RECYCLE.
Instead of ordering take-out, cook your meals at home, bring your bags to shop at local farmers markets and use your own water bottles. Recycle everything you can but also know that processing plastic waste is labor intensive and environmentally costly, to say the least.
4. REDUCE FOOD WASTE AND TRY TO COMPOST.
Did you knowit takes 25 years for a head of lettuce to decompose when it’s trapped in a landfill? That means the food waste in landfill contributes to green gas emissions for 25 years.
40% of food in America is wasted, and 90% of wasted food ends up in landfills.
90% of us throw food away too soon.
Each of us tosses nearly 300 lbs. of food each year.
The average American family spends $1,500 on food that ends up being wasted each year.
The annual cost of food waste in the US is $1 trillion.
When composted, food scraps and other organic waste become a useful product that adds nutrients and improves the quality of soil for street trees, gardens, and more.
