Ten business actions to support our planet this Earth Day

22nd April 2024

Monday 22 April is Earth Day – an international event which honours our planet, by promoting conservation and sustainability.

Earth Day is a great opportunity for businesses to take action to support our planet. The movement has grown since the first Earth Day in 1970, and now works with more than 150,000 partners in over 192 countries to drive positive action for the whole planet.

Plastic not-so-fantastic

The theme of this year’s Earth Day is ‘Planet vs. Plastics’. As plastics break down, they release toxic chemicals into our food, water and air. More plastic has been produced in the last ten years than in the entire twentieth century: currently over 380m tons per year. Earth Day is committed to a 60 per cent reduction in all plastics by 2040, and an eventual plastic-free future.

Watch the Earth Day video for 2024:

Earth Day actions for businesses

There are four strands to this year’s Earth Day campaign, and all offer opportunities for Sandwell businesses to take positive action. Here are just ten suggestions.

Raise awareness of the harm caused by plastics

1. It would be great if you promote Earth Day to your staff and workmates, encouraging them to share what they will do this year to reduce their use of plastic.

2. You could spread the word about zero waste shops, such as Eco Maniax in Stourbridge and the Clean Kilo in Birmingham. If you know of any more in Sandwell or the wider Black Country, please tell us.

3. Another good thing to do is organise a team litter pick or clean-up day. This raises awareness of waste and enhances the local environment. It also be a great morale booster to get out of the workplace and come together with your colleagues in a different setting. If you need help with organising a litter pick, the award-winning, Sandwell-based charity Litter Watch may be able to help. They can even support you to adopt a street. If you’re based in West Bromwich, you could save the dates for autumn litter picks with West Bromwich BID.

Reduce the use of single-use plastics

4. If you can, encourage staff to bring in their own reusable cups and bottles to work.

5. You could take steps towards making your workplace a plastic-free zone by swapping disposable cups and cutlery for more sustainable options.

6. Switching to refillable ink cartridges and rechargeable batteries would help to minimise waste.

Demand policy change

7. Sign the Earth Day Global Plastics Treaty on behalf of your business, urging the United Nations and governments across the world to commit to taking action.

8. When hosting events, changing suppliers or awarding contracts, it’s a good idea to make sustainability part of your buying policy.

9. Responsible business owners are increasingly introducing measures that encourage staff to travel to work more sustainably. These could include car pooling schemes or secure bicycle storage. Get cycling information from Sandwell Council here.

Invest in new technologies and materials

10. Check out Sandwell Business Growth’s net zero page. You’ll find information and links to a number of programmes for SMEs that want to put sustainability measures in place.

To find out more about Earth Day, including even more ideas about how you can support it, visit the website.