Your guide to a Conscious, Ethical Earth Day!
The weather has been lovely and the garden has been calling me, so this year's Earth Day info post is slightly later than planned. However, I wanted to make sure I got this information to you ahead of this upcoming weekend since April is a huge month in the sustainability community. We have Earth Day (April 22), Arbor Day (April 26) and Fashion Revolution Week (April 15-24)!
This year’s Earth Day theme is Planet vs. Plastics so here are some ideas for considering and reducing plastic:
Swap out hygiene and cleaning products that come in plastic packaging for package free or alternatives.
Find a local refill or bulk store, they are becoming more common! If you don’t have one nearby, consider buying in bigger packages so you get more product for the amount of plastic.
Wash and reuse plastic containers as much as possible. If you’re not comfortable using them for food, there are lots of creative ways to use plastics: use yogurt containers to mix paint or store screws, use plastic bags to clean up pet waste, use takeout containers to organize jewelry! As we highlighted last month, plastic recycling is mostly a scam by fossil fuel companies to sell more plastic!
Attend a clean up in your neighborhood! Beautify your community, meet your neighbors, and get plastic out of our soil and water, it’s a win-win-win!
Calculate your plastic footprint. Once you measure something, it becomes easier to set goals to reduce it. Start with a 10% reduction goal and check in again next year and see if you’ve achieved it with your actions.
Get involved on the systemic level. One easy win is to sign this petition in support of the Break Free from Plastic Pollution Act on the federal (US) level. Also, pay attention to initiatives on the state and local level that you can support, understand the environmental priorities for your elected officials and encourage them to take a stance on the production and use of plastic for the health of our communities.
Read up on our guide: A Costume Professional’s Guide to Plastic Free July for lots of great information and ideas! If you manage a costume shop, you should definitely look into a microfiber filter for your washing system; several different options are listed in the guide.
Prioritize natural fibers in design and production that won’t shed plastic microfibers during wearing and washing. Take some time this month to commit (or recommit!) to a more sustainable habit.
Arbor Day is all about the importance of planting and sustaining trees and healthy forest ecosystems. As such, it’s a little out of our lane, but you should definitely be aware of how trees impact human and environmental health and are a crucial part of addressing the biodiversity, social, and climate crises we face today.
Fashion Revolution Week is in its 10th year! Founded in response to the Rana Plaza Collapse on April 24th, 2013, FRW marks the anniversary in an effort to bring attention to the continued safety issues and exploitation in the garment manufacturing industry globally. As costume professionals, we KNOW and understand the skill and labor that goes into making even a simple clothing item. The fight for living wages and safe conditions in garment manufacturing is just as crucial as our struggle for wage parity with our lighting and scenic counterparts. Attend an event, share your story on social media, and find your local community on their website!
Hopefully you now feel more empowered and inspired to try something new to be a part of climate and social solutions. Our work is tied so closely to the environment and the lives of others and these events are a great time to shine a light on those connections.
