With Earth Day being this Saturday (Saturday 22nd of April), now is the perfect time to start thinking about the small steps that we can all take to make a difference in the fight against climate change. 

Switch to a renewable energy supplier:

Switching to a green energy supplier is an easy way to have a positive impact on the environment. Knowing where your money is going and who you are supporting is always important, and if switching is something you can do, we would recommend companies like Ecotricty or Octopus.

Try Meat-Free Mondays:

For the good of the planet and your health, having a meat-free day once a week is a fabulous way to reduce your carbon footprint. A vegetarian diet produces half the carbon footprint of that of the average meat eater. Try experimenting with different flavours and textures, it can become a fun weekly tradition that can get the whole family involved.

Help the bees:

Bees are some of the most important bugs in our ecosystem. About 90% of wild plants and 75% of leading global crops depend on animal pollination, without pollinators like bees our food supply would drop greatly. There are lots of ways to help the bees, for example popping a bug house in your garden. These can help Masonry bees by giving them a safe place to lay their eggs and hide from predators. You can also plant bee-friendly flowers such as Lavender, primrose, buddleia and marigolds. If you spot a bee that is struggling to fly, mix two teaspoons of white granulated sugar with one teaspoon of water (never honey) and put it on a plate or drip it onto a flower, to help revive the tired bee.

Go Bird spotting:

Getting out bird spotting is a wonderful way to get back to nature and learn more about the incredible array of bird species that we have here in the UK. You can either just google birds in the UK and write down a few to look for or download a bird spotting app or buy a book.

Buy/ Sell upcycled equipment:

Places like Facebook Marketplace and eBay can be fabulous for repurposing old items. If you’re sorting out the shed or loft and find something you would usually just chuck, pop it on the internet, and there is almost always someone who would be interested. We live in such a throwaway society, but there are lots of things that can be revived and repurposed.

Litter pick:

Grab yourself a litter picker (or some gardening gloves) and a bin bag and just get out litter picking. Not only are you helping keep our parks, countryside, and beaches clean, it’s also a fabulous way to get out as a family and get some fresh air.

Invest in our planet:

This year's Earth Day theme is 'Invest in our planet'. Ensuring that you are supporting sustainable businesses and knowing what your money is going towards is so important. It is fairly easy to check if your favourite brands are making a conscious effort to support sustainability. For example, here at OLPRO Sustainability is at the heart of everything that we do, and this can easily be found under the sustainability tab on our website. If a company isn't being transparent about its sustainability goals, this is usually a red flag. You can also outright invest in our planet by making switches to more sustainable forms of transport or switching where you buy your clothes from to more sustainable companies.

For more ways to take action and Invest in our planet, check out the Earth Day website: https://www.earthday.org/earth-day-2023/

You can also learn more about OLPRO's sustainability Journey here: https://olproshop.com/Sustainability/