Earth Day is April 22
Saturday, April 22 is Earth Day.
Started in 1970, Earth Day’s goal is to bring awareness to how people can work to save our planet through sustainability, cleanup, climate literacy, and growing more green space. This year’s theme is “Invest in our planet”.
How, exactly, do we invest in our planet?
Like putting pennies in a piggy bank, every small act adds up. On Earth Day and beyond, mindfulness is key. A good way to help the planet is to support companies that practice sustainability. Here are five companies working to help the planet through sustainable practices.
Starbucks
Much like Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s encourages shoppers to bring their own bags, fast-coffee giant, Starbucks is now allowing customers to bring their own cups for refills. Cups can be in any form (reusable hot/cold cup, coffee mug, or tumbler) but must be clean. Starbucks will fill it with your drink of choice, and will offer a ten-cent discount on your purchase. Starbucks rewards members will also receive 25-star points per drink.
Counter Culture Coffee
Since 2010, this coffee company has measured its carbon footprint. It also works with Trees, Water, and People to implement clean cookstoves in Honduran communities. Counter Culture’s coffees are all sourced fairly, and the company supports World Coffee Research, an organization that works to increase the climate resistance of coffee plants, ensuring the hardiness of coffee plants for decades to come.
Arbor Teas
For Earth Day 2023, Arbor Teas is asking its customers if they have a favorite nonprofit that supports or works toward one of the themes of Earth Day, honoring the earth and promoting peace and environmentalism. And they’re inviting customers to submit an Earth Day-related nonprofit for consideration for their annual Earth Day donation. To nominate a sustainable nonprofit, visit arborteas.com.
Firestone Walker
In the middle of California’s Central Coast wine country, Firestone Walker Brewing Company turns out some mighty fine beer at its earth-friendly brewery. The brewery uses solar power, energy from kettle steam recovery, and biogas, which is transformed into usable energy via microturbines. 90 percent of the grains used in making beer are delivered in bulk to eliminate packaging waste, and 10,000 tons of spent grain (the leftover grain from the brewing process) are recovered and fed to local livestock each year. Firestone Walker also recycles about 500,000 gallons of water annually through its water reuse system. In addition, all excess cardboard, glass, and aluminum is recycled at the brewery.
Hissho Sushi
This North Carolina-based company distributes sushi to over 2,200 locations nationwide including Winn-Dixie and Fresh Market. The company recently announced that 100 percent of the seafood used in its products is responsibly sourced. The company purchases seafood only from wild capture and farmed sources and ensures that all seafood is traceable to farms or fisheries. The seafood is certified by an independent third party for transparency.