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Celebrating Earth Day 2021

Celebrating Earth Day 2021

The shop is a frenzy of activity preparing for Mother’s Day, one of our busiest weeks of the year. But we’d be remiss if we didn’t pause, take a breath, and appreciate the mother to us all - this wonderful, vibrant, living planet that we call home. 

Happy Earth Day

Environmentalism and combating climate change can often feel incredibly overwhelming. Our world is so large and complex. As with any complex system, there is a lot of nuance and many facets to each challenge, which can make it feel impossible to tackle them as individuals. While there have been great strides towards sustainability - from the US rejoining the Paris Climate Agreement, the fact that wind and solar energy are beginning to out-compete fossil fuels in many regions of the world, the creation of more marine protected areas throughout our oceans, and so much more - there is still a lot of work to be done.

In the face of such overwhelming problems, we always find ourselves focusing on what we can do. Small steps and little changes in our community pave the way for larger shifts in the right direction on a global scale. Here are some of the amazing eco-friendly initiatives happening here in Phoenix:

Phoenix’s Climate Action Plan

Phoenix recently became a member of the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, a network of the world’s major cities committed to addressing climate change. Phoenix is committing to a target of net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050 and to conform to the Paris Agreement. 

Our city’s Climate Action Plan includes sweeping and ambitious goals for reducing the heat island effect by increasing the tree canopy and public park spaces, increasing public transportation availability, supporting local food systems, and ensuring water reliability.

What you can do:

Write an email to your Councilmember and Mayor Gallego, or sign up to speak in upcoming Council budget meetings to voice your support for sustainability projects and Climate Action funding. 

Plant local trees and landscape with native desert plants to conserve water, combat the heat island effect, and help the local ecosystem flourish.

Reducing & Reusing Food Waste in the Valley

Recycled City is a Phoenix compost company that will collect your food waste and deliver fresh compost bins to your home each week. Composting reuses food waste, which would otherwise end up in a landfill as a major greenhouse gas emitter. Composting sustainably fertilizes crops and enriches soil of our local farms. 

Other food that is still consumable but would otherwise go to waste now has an avenue for use in Phoenix thanks to Waste Not - a nonprofit that collects prepared foods that would otherwise be wasted, and delivers them to partner organizations to help combat hunger and food insecurity. 

What you can do:

Sign up for Recycled City’s compost program or set up your own home compost for backyard gardening or donation to your favorite local farm. 

Help Waste Not deliver their 3 million meals annually across the Valley by donating or volunteering. 

Try to be mindful about your food purchases and consumption and plan your meals to buy only what you need in order to reduce waste (in the US, households are the largest contributor to food waste - with the average household wasting approximately 21% of food purchased).

Supporting Local Farms & Reducing Food Insecurity

Purchasing locally-sourced food and consuming seasonal regional produce is good for the environment, and hugely beneficial for our local economy and communities. Unlike large corporate farming operations, local farms are community-centered, and utilize practices that keep soils healthy, protect water sources, and maintain more sustainable growing methods.

The integration of community involvement in small farms and creating affordable access to fresh, healthful local food for underserved communities is a thriving initiative in Phoenix thanks to non-profit groups such as Spaces of Opportunity, the Orchard Community Learning Center, and the TigerMountain Foundation

What you can do:

Opt to shop at your local farmer’s market for produce and household staples, or sign up for a local CSA. When shopping at the grocery store, choose organic options and in-season produce whenever possible, and center your meals around fruits and vegetables for a diet that’s healthy for both you and the planet. 

We’ll be celebrating our beautiful earth and cultivating new growth in Phoenix in partnership with the Desert Botanical Garden for Arbor Day. Stay tuned for more information, which will be released on our Instagram this week! 

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