How to Celebrate Earth Day 2022 like a Sustainability Pro
by Ocean Blue Project
Each year, Earth Day gives us the opportunity to work towards a sustainable future to protect the earth and our one world ocean.
Earth Day is the perfect time to check in with yourself and see where you could be doing better in terms of sustainability. And which local environmental efforts could use more of your support.
If you, like so many, have spent the past couple of years reconnecting with nature and water, you may be wondering how to preserve and protect it. Well, you’ve come to the right place!
What is Earth Day?
After a massive oil spill in 1969, a senator from Wisconsin rallied university students to hold teach-ins on college campuses. The goal was to build awareness of air and water pollution. Led by Denis Hayes, a young activist, they were able to build enough momentum to get national media attention. That day, 20 million Americans took to the streets to demand climate action.
52 years later, Earth Day is a global holiday dedicated to the protection and preservation of the environment. Whether it’s ocean cleanup, plastic pollution, or other green initiatives, Earth Day is a great time to learn more about the issues our planet is facing.
By the end of 1970, Earth Day led to the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency and several new green laws. In 1990, Earth Day became a global holiday.
This year, the theme for Earth Day is “Invest in Our Planet” and what our world would look like if we did that. If we chose to embrace renewable energy, cleanup the ocean, and reduce plastic use and emissions. This year, preserving our planet is more important than ever before.
What Can You do?
It may seem like you’re just one person, and the tasks of ocean cleanup and reducing carbon emissions are too big for you to tackle— but this isn’t true.
Everyone has something to contribute when it comes to Earth Day. Every habit you create has an impact over time. Small actions compound, make a big difference.
By creating more sustainable habits and spending your money more wisely, you make a big impact on the future of the planet.
Ditch Single-Use Plastics
Plastic is one of the biggest threats to our environment right now. According to a study from Utah State University, 1,000+ tons of microplastics are deposited in our national parks every year. That’s over 300 million plastic water bottles.
But the dangers of plastic don’t stop there. Scientists think that the amount of microplastic pollution in the ocean has been way underestimated.
What does that mean? Microplastics are sneaky, filtering in many places and wreaking havoc wherever they go. The problem is getting out of hand as microplastics are now found in food, water, soil, and even in our bloodstream.
What can you do to help? The best way is to swap out plastic water bottles for reusable ones. And to cut down your use of plastic—especially single-use plastic.
For Earth Day 2022, and thanks to the Earth Day Oregon initiative, when you make a donation to Ocean Blue Project of $50 or more, you’ll get a 21 oz reusable water bottle generously donated by Healthy Human.
This way, not only will you contribute to ocean cleanup and conservation, but you’ll also reduce your carbon footprint and single-use plastic use. Win-win!
Support Eco-Friendly Businesses
Who you support with your buying power is impactful. It’s so important to use your money to support companies that share your values and are helping the environment—not exploiting it.
In today’s world of corporate greenwashing, it can be hard to pinpoint which companies are good, which are bad, and what being eco-friendly even means.
If you’re from Oregon, a great place to start is with the Earth Day Oregon initiative. Earth Day Oregon is an initiative that wants to connect businesses with local nonprofits who are doing great sustainability work every day—just like Ocean Blue Project.
If you visit the Earth Day Oregon website, you’ll find a list of local businesses. All of them are partnered with sustainability nonprofits and donate part of their revenue to them. These are the types of businesses you can support to be a more conscious consumer. Plus, many of these businesses are small + local!
Also, thanks to Earth Day Oregon, if you make a donation of $100+ to Ocean Blue Project, you’ll be entered into a raffle to win many exciting prizes!
Support Ocean Blue Project’s Earth Day Initiative!
One of the best ways to celebrate Earth Day is by supporting local organizations doing the work to help protect our blue planet. Every dollar you give to ocean cleanup + conservation is an investment in a safer, greener future.
This year, Ocean Blue Project is hosting an Earth Day fundraising project. The goal is to raise $100,000 in April. Our incredible partners have already pledged $60,000 to help us reach our goal!
Some of these partners are Earth Breeze, Thibaut, EarthHero, HMTX Industries, Next Level Burger, Woolly Made, and many more!
Your donation goes directly towards ocean cleanup! For every dollar donated, we remove one pound of plastic from our oceans. Together, we can solve one of the biggest issues of our generation and build the foundation for a sustainable future.
At the same time, we’re working to organize local cleanups, empowering community members to take their beaches back from plastic pollution and clean it up one piece of plastic at a time.
To support our mission to enjoy healthy, clean oceans—make your donation here. Remember, your donation of $50+ gets you a reusable water bottle sponsored by Healthy Human!
Our Goal for Earth Day
We have an ambitious agenda for Earth Day 2022—and with your help we can reach all of our goals! Here’s what’s happening at Ocean Blue Project.
- We’re raising awareness + $100,000 to remove 100,000 pounds of plastic debris from our one world ocean.
How can you help this cause? Check out our agenda! 👇🏽
Earth Day 2022 Agenda
We’re really excited to have an agenda filled with impactful events for the month of April. Besides celebrating Earth Day, we’re also celebrating the 10th anniversary of Ocean Blue Project (coming on June 8th—Oceans Day).
Stay tuned for more on our 10th anniversary.
To take part in the events happening in April and to have an impactful Earth Day, check out our full agenda here. You can sign up for beach clean ups near you at the bottom of the page!
Do you want to take your Earth Day impact to the next level? Organize your own beach clean up! You can sign up to clean up a local beach or waterway and we’ll help you put it together. Organize a clean up here.
Annual Oregon Coast Cleanup Awareness Day
After Earth Day, there’s another impactful holiday taking place—the Annual Oregon Coast Cleanup Awareness Day.
Since 2017, governor Kate Brown proclaimed April 23 to be the Annual Oregon Coast Cleanup Awareness Day. The alarming rate in which plastic debris is washing up in Oregon’s coast was the driving force behind this day.
Since then, this day has been recognized as an opportunity to prioritize ocean cleanup all over the state. If you want to help us commemorate this day, organize a clean up in the Oregon coast! We’ll help out with the logistics—get started here.
