🌎A Bounty Of Earth Day 2023 Events💚
Our Local Groups and Affiliates started off the tabling season strong with Earth Day events across the country. Here’s a sampling of their fantastic showings.
Beyond Plastics Queens, New York co-founders Rachana, Carolina, and Victoria were joined by fantastic team members Meredith and Barri (also pictured). The group spent Earth Day at the Climate Arts Festival hosted by the Queens Botanical Garden educating people about plastic pollution, gathering signatures in support of the New York State Packaging Reduction & Recycling Infrastructure Act, helping people write to their council members in support of NYC's Choose To Reuse bill, and recruiting new members!
FoCo Trash Mob, Colorado spoke with 106 people during April Earth Day tabling events and asked folks to send this letter to Sprouts along with a small piece of packaging. They also sent a letter in a box of Bob's Red Mill packaging to Sprouts and to Bob's Red Mill with a slightly different message, factoring in their sustainability efforts.
Beyond Plastics Greater Boston, Massachusetts was one of 10 co-sponsors of the Extinction Rebellion Boston Earth Day Rally and March in downtown Boston on Friday, April 21st. Thirteen members and friends of Beyond Plastics Greater Boston gathered at the rally in front of Boston City Hall wearing black with red accents and marched to the front steps of the Massachusetts State House. Over 300 people participated in the Earth Day celebration and call to action. The theme of the Rally and March was No New Fossil Fuel Infrastructure. Leslie Evans of Sea Dog Press designed a new poster specifically for the event that features the black silhouette of a petrochemical plant. Eileen Ryan, the leader of Beyond Plastics Greater Boston gave a speech from the Massachusetts State House steps linking plastics to the fossil fuel industry and environmental justice (use this link to read a copy of her speech). The speeches given in front of the state house were each followed by a “twitter storm.” The event was full of giant puppets, art, music, and dance. The speeches were followed by a Die-In in front of the state house and Beacon Street was closed to traffic for the event.
Zero Waste Ithaca, New York members participated in an Earth day highway clean up with the Rotary Club and followed it up with social posts calling for a Bigger Better Bottle Bill! Throughout April they hosted giveaways to celebrate Earth Month and the participation of over 100 local businesses in the BYO Ithaca Reduces Program 🙌 To enter, participants followed prompts on social media and took pictures or reels showing how they practice zero waste around town. They then tagged @zerowasteithaca and the relevant business in their post, and shared on social media. This entered them into the raffle with winners announced each Sunday. Prizes from @gimmecoffee , @ithacareuse , @evergreenithaca , @home.green.home , and @zerowastechef drew great participation!
Beyond Plastics Greensboro, North Carolina warmed up for Earth Day by tabling at the Ocean Advocacy Workshop at University of South Carolina and then had tables at an event at Cascade Park and the Congregational United Church of Christ. The events were well attended and a number of people signed a petition to the Governor to urge implementing policy to eliminate unnecessary single-use plastic waste in state government.
Beyond Plastics Gallatin Valley, Montana opened its Earth Day at Emerson Gym by receiving nearly 200 reusable shopping bags to hand out to patrons from Eric Drake, VP of Town & Country East Supermarket. A swarm of excited kids followed and were especially tickled by Terry’s quiz board: “Stop Using Plastic: How Many?” and the free samples of Ecos plant based laundry detergent were a hit. Volunteers rallied again on Sunday at Hope Lutheran Church as part of the group’s CCT Spring Environmental kickoff.
The New Hampshire Network Plastics Working Group (PWG) participated in a Sustainability Fair attended by over 500 people and 30 organizations from New Hampshire. Cynthia Walter and Susan Richman educated folks about the health dangers of chemical recycling and urged people to engage in an allied effort with Conservation Law Foundation and Union of Concerned Scientists, to support rulemaking efforts on chemical recycling facilities in New Hampshire, following passage of a law classifying “advanced recycling” facilities for plastics as manufacturing operations versus solid waste management operations which are more regulated under the Clean Air Act.
