Ladies and Gentleman, HER! 5 ways to celebrate Mother Earth this weekend for Earth Day.

1. Attend The Overdue Event

We are very cool people. At least, we think we are. Better yet, we are cool people who pick up TRASH. Come hang out with us. Overdue LA will be hosting our inaugural Earth Day cleanup. For months, our board members have worked tirelessly with our friends at We Explore Earth to organize this event, in partnership with Hiker Revolution, Natives 4 Nature, Future Generations Now, American Conservation Coalition, Trailmothers Los Angeles, Access Fund, Saint Bernardine of Siena Catholic School, and Women in Music Los Angeles. The event, this Saturday 4/23/22, starts at 10am with five separate beach cleanups from Castellammare to Ocean Park. All participants are welcome to join the beach afterparty which includes yoga, free raffles, music, and snacks. To RSVP and get the address, click HERE. And if you can’t make it this weekend, we host cleanups several times a week and are always looking for new volunteers. (Thank you Yelp LA and Uniqlo for your support in making this event possible!)


2. Treat Yourself to an Eco-Friendly Shopping Spree

Unfortunately, buying eco-friendly products isn’t always friendly to your bank account. Indulge in a shopping spree that you can’t wait to haul out and show Mother Earth. While environmentally conscious products may be expensive on the front end, they can often end up saving you cash in the long run. Let this be fun for you. Treat yourself to that sustainable set of sunglasses you have been checking out or purchase some package free beauty products. You could even buy a SodaStream to make DIY vodka seltzers and cheers to Earth Day with your friends. If you are looking to go hard-core and make some really amazing changes to your daily routine, splurge at a local refill shop or Package Free. While corporations are largely responsible for emissions and waste, our conscious shopping habits allow us to put our money where our mouths are. Even if they aren’t listening to our words, they will listen to our wallets. This is a great way to spark change, so look to purchase products from both large and small companies that go beyond greenwashing.


3. Start a Conversation

We are more saturated with information than any generation in history which can sometimes lead us to want to tune it all out. Why spend time worrying about another natural disaster when there is a new Batman movie? Well, we have to strike a balance, because while an earthquake across the world may seem even further away than the fictional Gotham City, our decisions globally, both on large scales and personal levels, might have caused it. It’s not always convenient or fun to talk to someone you know about climate change and the ways in which they could be more eco-conscious. While some people are made uncomfortable by these talks and find this crisis easy to ignore, sharing your passion for finding solutions or overall concern may make them more introspective. It’s something that affects us all, so we all have to be talking about it. While you educate and brainstorm with someone in your life on ways in which you could both improve your sustainable practices, make an effort to bring even more of your community into the conversation. It’s going to take all of us to mend the wrongs of the past, and present, to safeguard our future. 


4. Make a Vow

Earth Day is like New Years for the planet, meaning that it is the perfect time to make a climate resolution. Chances have it, if you find yourself reading this post, you care about the Earth and the impact humanity has on it. While there are an abundance of things you can do to lower your carbon footprint, start by focusing on one until you have made it a subconscious habit and then continue on your list. Need some ideas? Reduce your meat heavy meals - try going three days a week with only plant based meals to lower the emissions caused by raising and transporting meat. Utilize public transport. Metrolink and LA Metro will be giving free rides on their buses, trains, and bike share system this Earth Day (4/22/22) making it the perfect time to give it a try and see if it could fit into your life. Use less plastic. Did you know they have now found microplastics in human blood? Erasing single use plastic from your life is one of the best ways to bring down your levels of personal waste and we now know it will also improve your personal health. As we are a convenience driven society, ridding it from your life will be a journey, but let this vow be the first step. When making your vow, have a friend or family member join you so you can hold each other accountable.

5. Donate to a Good Cause

If you are a little short on time and strength to tackle issues on climate change this Earth Day, that’s ok. It has been an exhausting two years for all of us. As the covid pandemic presented additional climate change obstacles, there have been a plethora of groups that have been fighting the good fight. Look for one that pulls at your heartstrings, local or global, and consider making a one-time or continuous donation. Take a peek at The Conservation Fund, The National Parks Foundation, 350.org, and Oceana. Of course, we are always accepting donations for Overdue, which allows us to purchase necessary cleanup supplies, do more outreach, and further our other impact projects that aim to reduce litter in our communities.