Earth Day | Lets Celebrate!

Earth Day is right around the corner and whether you're a kid or an adult, it can sometimes be difficult to understand how our actions affect the planet.  It's important to remember the choices we make every day in and around the house can certainly make a difference.  Perhaps you're interested in water conservation, or maybe you're passionate about energy savings or even products that are safer for waterways.  Regardless of how you envision protecting the planet we all share, we're offering 4 tangible ways you can make small changes that will reduce waste and energy!

Here in America, we use 50 BILLION plastic water bottles every year; most of which don't get recycled.  The average American uses 167 disposable water bottles each year, but only recycles 38.  The rest end up in landfills, oceans and other places, harming other animals and organisms that we need to protect in order to maintain a healthy planet.  The process of making water bottles uses 17 million barrels of gasoline, which is enough to power 1.3 million cars for one year!  An alternative would be to purchase a reusable water bottle and fill it with your own water. Reusable water bottles can be found in many stores and come in a variety of sizes.  Some have the capacity to keep fluids cold or warm for hours, others come with their own filtration systems.

Our dependency on and overuse of plastic bags - at grocery stores, gas stations and/or retail outlets damages the planet.  Did you know that the average plastic bag takes up to one thousand years to decompose?   If not recycled properly, they end up harming wildlife, clogging waterways and getting caught in trees and electrical wires.  There's a simple and affordable way to help limit the damage - invest in reusable bags!  Western New York, Wegmans charges just 99 cents for a reusable bag.  Keeping two or three around can help you do your part in eliminating as much plastic bag waste as you can! Here's an idea to reduce both paper and plastic: The next time you give someone a gift, don't wrap it in wrapping paper. Put the item in a reusable bag instead! Your loved one will think of you each time they use the gift and when they reuse the bag!

We already covered using reusable grocery bags to protect the world - and each other.  But next time you're traversing the grocery aisle, keep your eye out for fresh produce that doesn't come prepackaged.  Additionally, items such as lentils, nuts, coffee beans and other dry goods can generally be found in larger, bulk containers.  By focusing on reusable containers, you help reduce the amount of plastic that's discarded in the world - and that's something you can certainly be proud of!

Make sure you set aside time to get out and enjoy Mother Earth.  Take the family on a hike, a quick jaunt to the beach or for a bike ride in a local park.  There's nothing like taking time to experience nature to establish a connection and realize the importance of each of us doing our part to protect it.

Western New York Catholic Schools encourages you to take some time to celebrate, appreciate and love the beautiful planet we all share.  Mother Earth takes care of us, and we should do our part to take care of her! Western New York offers a plethora of family-friendly activities to celebrate Earth Day. Whether you're an active part of our Christian schools in Buffalo, NY, award-winning elementary schools throughout WNY or anyone who's engaged in and concerned about the planet we share - make sure you let us know how you're planning to celebrate in the comment section below or offer your favorite way to protect the earth we share.  Earth Day should not only be celebrated on April 22^nd - but every day.