How to be Earth-conscious during Earth Month!

Written by Star Diavolikis

April is Earth Month, which is a great reminder of the idea we need to be nice to the very planet we live on. Think about it – it gives us food! Air! It gives us the cute dogs we see on TikTok!

With this, we need to care about the things we do that impact the world around us. Here’s a few ideas to help out!

1. Clean up your neighborhood

It can start out by simply cleaning where you live. If you notice people miss throwing their trash in the trashcan two feet away, it only takes a few seconds to pick it up and place it in the trash. Make sure to place them in either trash or recycling if it is an option and is recyclable!

If you want to go beyond your neighborhood, join Student Leadership, Involvement, & Community Engagement (SLICE) in various clean up events, including the Yakima River Cleanup and Clean Up The ‘Burg events on the 23rd! If these don’t work for you, there will also be the Olmstead Place Cleanup on the 30th.

2. Create your own sustainable packaging

This sounds like it may be a lot, but it is honestly a fun pastime! On the 27th, there is a DIY Beeswax Wrap event in SURC 137A from 1-2 p.m. If you don’t know how cool these wraps are, they are an Earth-friendly alternative to plastic wrap. Beeswax wraps can be reused many times compared to one-use plastic wraps.

3. Avoid one-use packaging and supplies

One-use packaging is the disposable packaging our favorite drive-thru places and some stores have. An alternative to this would be having a clean coffee cup that they could use for your order, or simply making sure you recycle anything you do use.

Other examples would be plastic wrap, plastic cups from drive-thrus, Ziploc bags, plastic grocery bags and even the cheap plastic bins you pick up on a whim to help you carry things from room to room that inevitably break after three uses.

With the advancements we’ve made in terms of creating sustainable products, nearly all disposable packaging has an eco-friendly alternative. Don’t be afraid to look around for some!

4. Take a walk instead of a drive

I get the idea of taking a drive to clear your mind, but a walk can be better both for the planet and for you. I’m not sure if it’s just me, but I enjoy feeling the wind and the ground beneath my feet as I try to get a grasp on the situation that is stressing me out. It is a grounding technique that lets me get a sense of, “Okay, I am still chilling out, I am physically okay.”

Unnecessary driving can also both waste gas and create air pollution in our environment.

With these ideas in mind, don’t be afraid to get out there and help out! It’s a chance to get some fresh air while creating a positive impact.