On April 22, we celebrate Earth Day worldwide, also known as Earth Day in the Netherlands. This initiative was founded in 1970 by Gaylord Nelson, a former US Senator, to raise awareness about environmental issues and emphasize the importance of protecting the environment.
This year's theme is 'Invest in Our Planet', a continuation of the same theme from 2022. It is a call to governments, companies and individuals to invest in a better future for our planet. In this blog we discuss why this day is still so important and we give you tips to celebrate this day!
Why is Earth Day important?
Earth Day is an important moment to reflect on the fact that our planet is fragile and we have a responsibility to protect it for future generations.
The day calls us to action and encourages us to embrace sustainable practices, such as reducing our carbon footprint. In addition, Earth Day offers an opportunity to influence government policies and business practices to make a positive impact on the environment at scale.
With the increasing environmental problems, such as climate change, deforestation and pollution, this day is more relevant than ever before. A moment to come together and commit to protecting the planet. By striving for a healthy and sustainable future, we contribute to creating a better world for ourselves and the next generations.
How can you celebrate Earth Day?
Earth Day is the perfect opportunity to do something good for our planet. With these five tips you already take a step towards a green(er) future:
Go to an organized event
Worldwide, people and companies are organizing activities to make the earth greener and more livable. Think of planting trees, sowing flowers or cleaning up litter. On this map you will find all activities and events that are organized. Find out which activities are being organized in your area and participate! Are you organizing an event yourself? You can easily add it so that more people know about it.
Eat vegetarian or vegan for a day
Are you thinking about switching to a vegetarian or even vegan lifestyle or are you just curious about all the meat substitutes that exist today? Then Earth Day is the perfect opportunity to take the first step.
The meat industry has a major impact on the environment. Forests are being cut down worldwide to make room for livestock farming and the production of animal feed. In addition, the production of meat contributes to high CO2 emissions.
Therefore, try vegetarian alternatives instead of meat for a day (or a week!). If you want to take it a step further, consider eliminating all animal products from your diet and opting for plant-based options. Tip: As a company, serve a vegetarian or vegan lunch for all employees.
Green your environment
Another way to give something back to the earth is by greening your surroundings, such as your garden or balcony. Plant flowers, place a tree or create a vegetable garden! You can also green up on a balcony using flower boxes and pots. Put on your shoes and go to the garden center to buy everything!
Watch nature documentaries
If you want to dive deeper into sustainability topics, watching nature documentaries might be for you. Below you will find four documentaries, all available on Netflix, that tell you how beautiful our nature is, but also in what state it is unfortunately:
1. Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret
Cowspiracy is a revealing documentary that introduces you to the impact of the livestock industry on our environment. The documentary examines the influence of this industry on climate change, deforestation and water pollution and presents plant-based food as a possible solution.
2. Seaspiracy
The documentary Seaspiracy focuses on our oceans and the impact humans have on marine species. They investigate the meaning of sustainability labels on fish products, the causes of plastic pollution and the consequences of overfishing.
3. A Plastic Ocean
A Plastic Ocean is a confrontational documentary that shows the impact of disposable plastic. What does plastic pollution actually do to our oceans? And what about plastic in landfills and recycling initiatives? These and more questions are answered in the documentary.
4. A Life on Our Planet
The nature documentary that should not be missing from this list is of course A Life on Our Planet. David Attenborough talks about his life and the dramatic changes he has seen in nature over the past 70 years. The film offers hope and solutions to tackle problems such as climate change, deforestation and overfishing.
Find out more about sustainable packaging
A large part of all plastic pollution in seas and oceans is caused by disposable items. The European Union is trying to reduce the share of plastic in litter with the help of the Singel Use Plastics Directive. More measures will follow in the course of 2023 and 2024. By choosing environmentally friendly packaging, such as our paper bags, snack trays or plates and bowls, you contribute to a future without (disposable) plastic.
Source: earthday.org
What is TakeAware doing in terms of sustainability?
We don't mince words: we want sustainability! That is why we continuously do our very best to innovate with sustainable products. Our goal? We strive to make plastic a thing of the past, sooner rather than later. Yet we are realistic enough to understand that there is not yet an equally good alternative for everything. We naturally want to offer our customers a range that is as sustainable as possible, but with products of good quality. Are you taking the step towards a plastic-free future with us? View our wide range now! We have reusable products, but also disposables made from sustainable materials and plastic-free disposables.