9 Unconventional Ways to Celebrate Earth Day

Earth Day is the perfect time to reflect on our impact on the planet, appreciate its beauty, and to make environmentally conscious choices. Although this holiday is just one day – you can make choices in your everyday life that will benefit the Earth every day!

Ways to celebrate Earth Day can be as simple as going outside or as big as tackling a huge eco-friendly project you’ve been thinking about for months! Some unconventional ways to celebrate Earth Day this year include:

• Signing a petition or donating to an environmental cause

• Shopping secondhand 

• Completing a solar DIY project

• Hosting a cleanup event

• Sponsoring a beehive

• Making a craft using recyclables

• Incorporating more plant-based meals

• Doing a DIY home-energy audit

• Visiting a national park

What is Earth Day, and why do we celebrate it?

Earth Day is a global holiday celebrated every April 22nd. The main purpose of Earth Day is to promote environmental awareness, encourage eco-friendly habits, and inspire people to take action for a more sustainable future. 

The first Earth Day was celebrated in 1970 as a response to growing public concern about the major air pollution, oil spills, and other harmful effects of industrial development across the country. The celebration brought together over 20 million Americans to press the government over these concerns, eventually leading to eco-friendly legislation passed by presidents and local governments alike. 

Earth Day has since been declared a global holiday to commemorate this movement and to continue advocating for and protecting our planet.

9 unconventional Earth Day activities that make a real difference

There are ways you can celebrate the Earth that go beyond just going outside. These are activities you can do yourself or invite your friends – the options are endless!

1. Signing a petition or donating to an environmental cause

Donating to a cause that supports fighting for the environment is a simple yet effective way to show your support for the planet on Earth Day. There are tons of environmental causes and nonprofits to choose from – find one that resonates with you! 

If money is tight, you can still support your favorite environmental causes. Signing petitions is an excellent (and completely free) way to voice your support against environmental injustice or policy that is harmful to our planet.

2. Shop secondhand

The fast fashion industry has had large effects on the environment. According to an analysis on fast fashion by Earth.org, clothing production comprises 10% of global carbon emissions, and it was found that producing clothing contributes to drying up water sources and polluting rivers and streams. 

By shopping secondhand, you can reduce this effect on the environment. Not to mention secondhand shopping is significantly cheaper than buying brand-new items. This advantage is more relevant than ever, as Trump’s looming tariffs threaten to drive up prices for brands (yes, including clothing brands) that rely heavily on imported goods. 

To make it even more eco-friendly, do your second-hand shopping locally! Whether you visit a thrift store, consignment shop, or a nonprofit facility, there are plenty of ways to shop sustainably. 

3. Complete a solar DIY project

Getting an entire rooftop solar installation is a big commitment, and takes months to fully complete. But on a smaller scale, there are plenty of solar-powered outdoor projects you can complete in a day that serve as a smart investment in renewable energy while taking your yard to the next level. Solar DIY projects that are simple and eco-friendly include:

• A solar gazebo

• Solar security lights

• Solar string lights

• Solar garden lights

If you’re looking for sustainable ways to electrify your home’s landscape, any one of these projects can help you do so, all while keeping your electric bills down. 

4. Host a cleanup event

Whether you’re alone, with a few friends, or an entire community, hosting a cleanup event is an excellent way to bring people together and reduce litter and pollution, making their home a better place to live.

All you need to get started is a few basic supplies–trash bags, bins, gloves, and trash pickers. Then, head to a local spot like a beach, park, or nature reserve and start picking up any litter you see! 

5. Sponsor a beehive

Save the bees this Earth Day! Bees play a key role in maintaining biodiversity on this planet through pollination. It is important to keep bees healthy and thriving so they can do their part in helping this planet and keeping our food chain alive!

To show your support for all the hard work bees are doing, sponsor a beehive for Earth Day. Plenty of local or national bee conservation organizations have options for sponsorship, where you can make a donation towards the protection and maintenance of a real honeybee hive. Some programs even keep you updated on the hive’s progress and send you honey samples!

You can even take this to the next level and landscape your yard with local, pollinator-friendly plants to encourage pollination and even help the population of bees and butterflies in your area grow. Even just sprinkling a few local wildflower seeds in your garden and planters can promote a healthier planet. 

6. Make a craft using recyclables

Another way to celebrate the Earth is to get creative with recyclable materials! Instead of tossing them out, set them aside and turn them into fun, eco-friendly DIY crafts. It’s a simple yet rewarding way to breathe new life into items that might otherwise end up in a landfill.

For example, you could turn empty toilet paper rolls into a bird feeder, repurpose old glass jars or plastic bottles into a plant propagation station, hop on the junk journaling trend, or even transform worn-out clothes and fabric into a cozy quilt – the possibilities are truly endless.

7. Incorporate more plant-based meals 

There are a ton of environmental benefits from eating a plant-based diet. Eating plant-based for just one day per week is a great way to support the environment while also discovering new foods you might not try otherwise.

Vegan and vegetarian diets can reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Food production facilities for meat and dairy products are a large contributor to harmful emissions into the atmosphere. By eating plant-based for even just one day of the week, you’re showing your support for animal life and the environment.

8. Do a DIY home-energy audit

You might not realize it, but energy could literally be going out your window. Drafts and air leaks can make your HVAC system work harder to keep your house at a comfortable temperature, which means you’re using more energy (and paying more money!). The more power you use, the bigger your carbon footprint, especially if your utility doesn’t utilize renewable resources. 

Celebrate Earth Day by doing your own DIY home energy audit. You can find where you should make energy efficiency improvements to reduce your household energy consumption. Many of the upgrades are affordable, like weather stripping doors and windows, cleaning the coils on your refrigerator, or making sure there are no blockages in your dryer vents!

9. Visit a national park

What better way to celebrate Earth Day than by exploring some of its most breathtaking natural wonders? There are 63 national parks and preserves in the United States that bring in millions of visitors each year. 

Late April is an ideal time to visit some of the country’s most popular national parks. It falls right before peak tourist season, so you might be able to enjoy the beauty of the parks without the usual crowds. Plus, the weather in many parts of the U.S. tends to be mild in April – not too hot, not too cold – making it perfect for hiking and sightseeing.

Installing solar panels makes everyday Earth Day!

According to Columbia University, solar panels can reduce more carbon emissions per acre than trees! You can help join the fight against climate change by installing solar panels on your own roof. Not only will the solar panels power your home with clean energy, they can help lower your electricity bills, too. In fact, solar panels savings are high enough that solar systems in most states pay for themselves in under ten years! A great investment that helps the enviornment — what's not to love!