What is Earth Day? Forty-eight years ago today, on April 22, 1970, our environmental sustainability consciousness to leave the world a better place for generations to come was ignited.

Then: In 1970, it is reported that millions of people took to the streets to protest the negative impacts of 150 years of industrial development, from smog to pollution to pesticides use. Earth Day made our government, and the world, take notice. In July of that year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was established. Their mission: to protect human health and our environment.

Now: Earth Day is an annual, global event where now more than one billion people in 192 countries take part in the largest known, civic-focused day of action in the world.

Earth Day 2018 Mission: Ending harmful, plastic pollution by way of global mobilization, education, stricter regulatory sanctions, and increasing personal responsibility to eliminate the use of plastics to help save our oceans, marine life, waterways, and wildlife. 

How We Can Help? Reject. Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. We’ve been guiding clients for years on our responsibility to future generations and the importance of implementing sustainable practices. Our industry puts us in a great position to make this year’s Earth Day mission our own. How? Say no to plastics. Say no to plastic straws. Use no straws. Or use biodegradable paper straws. Say no to plastic water bottles. Our client did just that and made a huge impact, in one year alone filtering about 400,000 gallons of water, the equivalent of more than three million 16-ounce bottles.

Be a force for change. Inspire your teams. Inspire your guests. Inspire their children to say no to plastics.

We look to our very own Dan Simons, who gets out in front at every turn. Inspiring our clients and our team to make their sustainability mark wherever possible. One plastic straw at a time.

Happy Earth Day!