Meaningful, fun ways to celebrate Earth Day

Earth Day is a celebration of the planet that people, plants and animals call home. First celebrated in 1970, Earth Day was established to demonstrate support for environmental protection, and events are held each year on April 22. It is now coordinated globally by the Earth Day Network and celebrated in more than 193 countries.

People may wonder what they can do at a local level to make Earth Day a larger part of their lives. Here are just a few great ways to embrace Earth Day.

• Make it a point to bike or walk to school or work. If conditions are prohibitive, carpool to cut down on traffic. The fewer cars on the road, the less emissions in the air.

• Recycle e-waste in your home. E-waste is considered outdated electronic appliances that are no longer used. The Environmental Protection Agency suggests e-waste is the fastest growing waste stream in the world.

• Invest in a reusable coffee cup or water bottle. This can reduce the amount of trash that ultimately ends up in the environment.

• Connect with nature by turning off electronics for the day and getting outside. Head to a park or nature trail and immerse yourself in the great outdoors.

• Do something as simple as switching paper statements and bills to e-bills and online invoices. This reduces reliance on trees for new sources of paper.

• Grow some edibles in your home garden or even on a windowsill. This is a fun, eco-friendly way to control the foods you consume at home and a great way to save money as well.

• Reusing and recycling does not just pertain to water bottles and aluminum cans. Find out ways to repurpose or share items with others so they get more mileage. Also, make use of sharing services like bike sharing kiosks or Yerdle, an online community sharing marketplace.

• Volunteer your time at an organization that has an environmental focus. Or suggest a task with an eco-friendly slant, like picking up trash from a beach, to a local community group or club.

Earth Day is a great opportunity to get involved with environmental efforts.