As I contemplate both Earth Day and Arbor Day this week, I begin to wonder why we have these two holidays in the same week in April. A little online research reveals that Arbor Day is the older holiday, and the most pure and simple– the name says it all. Arbor Day was established to celebrate trees and promote the planting of trees. The very first Arbor Day was held in Spain in 1805; it was a local effort by a priest who believed trees were important for "health, hygiene, decoration, nature, environment and customs." The first American Arbor Day was celebrated in Nebraska in 1872 and soon spread throughout the United States and many other countries. I remember planting trees at school on Arbor Day as a child.
Earth Day
Water Consumption
Recycling
I don't even want to tell you how many bags of garbage we produce in a week; we were thrilled when we got a garbage disposal and were able to grind up all that organic matter and wash it down the drain. Visiting Oakland made me realize that while our little town doesn't have a composting program which accepts meat and paper, we could at least start our own private composting pile with lawn clippings and vegetable scraps.
What One Person Can Do
There are so many small things we can do to support the environment: we can plant a tree, send reusable containers in school lunch boxes rather than plastic bags, use reusable bags at the grocery store, stop watering and mowing a section of our lawn, and even start to compost at home. What we can't control, or even anticipate, is how our actions will potentially influence those around us and how quickly they will multiply as others also make their own small contributions. And I really like the effect taking this approach has on our children who are learning that it's not enough to wait for the grand gesture. Instead, we need to live our lives thoughtfully and in an environmentally-friendly way every, single day.
Support Socially Responsible Brands
We can also care for planet Earth by choosing to support companies which make an effort to reduce their influence on the environment. Lucky & Me has a commitment to environmental sustainability and these values influence every decision the company makes about products and packaging. You can see this in the use of mailing bags made from recycled polyethylene, products made in environmentally-friendly factories, the use of organic cotton in many products, and soon they will be offering an adorable reusable muslin bag.
If your kids are like mine, they love to fill pouches with all the small collectibles they gather over the course of a day. Of course, you can also use this bag yourself, in your lingerie drawer or to hold jewelry. I love that Lucky & Me has come up with such a well-designed, cute and reusable item to replace at least some of the plastic bags in my life! After all, every little bit helps!
By Liz Smith. Liz has worked across the globe for many of the world's best known apparel brands, including Justice, Chico's, Victoria's Secret, and Hanes. She has worked closely with dozens of factories in more than 20 countries to ensure that production is of the highest standard. Liz has managed all aspects of garment production, from design through fabric development to sewing and merchandising - so she knows what it takes to make high-quality apparel. Liz is thrilled to share her knowledge about clothes to help discerning customers choose the finest products.