As a sustainability-focused agency, Huddle is delighted to see how passionate people around the world come together on Earth Day to show their commitment to a greener, more sustainable, less polluted home for all of us. We are proud to be part of helping the events industry make sustainable events a great and growing reality in the same spirit.
Today we thought we would take a look at how people globally are celebrating Earth Day. From New York to Los Angeles to Sydney, more and more people are using earth day each year as a way to show their commitment to a more sustainable future.
This year, Earth Day is seizing the spotlight with an ambitious goal to inspire action across nearly 200 countries. In collaboration with EarthDay.org, cities worldwide are uniting to advocate for significant environmental conservation efforts, emphasizing a crucial demand for a 60% reduction in plastic production by 2040. This initiative underscores a collective endeavor to forge a sustainable future with less plastic pollution and a cleaner world.
The first Earth Day was April 22, 1970, when over 20 million individuals gathered to promote environmental awareness, significantly impacting public policies in the U.S. This event not only led to the establishment of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) but also paved the way for critical environmental legislation such as the Clean Air Act.
Since then, Earth Day has transformed from a national event into a global movement. By 1990, it had mobilized 200 million people in 141 countries, highlighting its expansive reach and influence.
This year’s celebrations are marked across the globe by thousands of events held by organizations of all shapes and sizes, with the aim of fostering environmental stewardship.
In Malaysia, EarthDay.org is spearheading what is set to be the largest Earth Day cleanup ever. The focus is Penang Island, where volunteers will tackle plastic pollution exacerbated by tourism, aiming to clean beaches and forests with the help of at least 100,000 participants. Additionally, the initiative plans to plant over one million trees, contributing to the global effort against deforestation—a critical concern given the United Nations’ report that 18 million acres of forest are lost annually.
In the U.S., various cities are hosting unique events that reflect their local commitments to sustainability. Los Angeles County, for instance, is offering free home composting workshops, while Chicago focuses on park cleanups. Philadelphia will debut its first environmental film festival, “Confluence: Earthly Films for Philadelphia,” which will explore crucial topics such as water-related environmental justice and climate change.
Meanwhile, in Sydney, the new Watsons Bay Seed Library is set to open, promoting sustainable gardening by allowing residents to borrow and later return seeds, fostering a community of shared resources and environmental responsibility.
As Earth Day continues to evolve, its core mission remains steadfast: to engage communities worldwide in the urgent task of preserving our planet. Through collective action and sustained commitment, Earth Day 2024 not only reflects on our environmental legacy but also charts a course for future generations to live in a cleaner, greener world.
How to reduce plastic use is one of the questions we are asked most frequently by our clients and partners. And the good news is that great solutions exist. Plant based water bottles, recycled material, digital or reusable alternatives to single use plastics that can also lower energy consumption and the event carbon footprint. All that is missing is organization, expertise and commitment, which is another reason we are so delighted to see how many people are getting involved in earth day this year.
If you want to learn more about how to make events more sustainable and reduce the amount of plastics used, contact an expert at Huddle today!
