We at Swag Bar love where we live and are celebrating Earth Day 2022 in a big way.

The theme for Earth Day 2022 is “Invest In Our Planet”. If you missed our previous post, we announced an amazing partnership with Ocean Blue Project. This partnership allows us to take one more step towards our sustainability mission of cleaning up our world’s waterways.

“Our goal is to remove one pound of trash from the world for every pound of products we bring into the world.”
— Swag Bar’s sustainability mission

Luckily, there are so many low-cost / no-cost opportunities we can all start or continue doing to invest in a healthier planet. Let's take action!

Choose energy-efficient appliances 💡

We spend a lot of time in our homes. Choosing energy-efficient appliances, light bulbs, and fixtures can save you quite a bit on your utility bills month after month. As for the larger environmental impact, increased efficiency can lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and other pollutants, as well as decrease water use. 

Compost 🍂

If you cook at home a lot, you know just how many food scraps can wind up in the trash, which eventually gets taken to a landfill. You could try opting for a compost bin to help break down some of your food scraps (and yard debris like leaves) to make a great natural fertilizer for plants and garden beds.

Create a garden 🪴

With that compost, roll up your sleeves and start your own backyard garden (or even a community garden in your neighborhood). There is no better feeling than watching something grow, and being able to enjoy fresh home-grown produce.

Join an ocean cleanup crew 🐠

It’s no surprise why we partnered with Ocean Blue Project. Their number one goal is to remove plastic and non-biodegradable materials from our oceans to keep marine life safe. You can volunteer and create your own ocean cleanup crew with family and friends by filling out a form on their website.

Plant trees 🌳 

There are several organizations around the U.S. (and the globe) that plan meetups to plant trees. Swag Bar is based in Charlotte, NC and one of our favorite local tree organizations to follow is Trees Charlotte. They educate our city’s residents about the importance of a strong urban canopy and offer plenty of volunteer opportunities throughout the planting seasons.

Purchase reusable products 🛍️

Using fabric tote bags at the grocery store can drastically reduce your plastic footprint. If you’re like us and love reusable products, consider adding these to your next Swag Packs: reusable straws, tote bags, and water bottles. 

Reduce, reuse, recycle ♻️

Cut down on what you throw away at home and start sorting your trash and recyclable materials. It’s fun to thrift and repurpose clothing when possible — it reduces landfill waste and gives new meaning to old things.

Walk or ride a bike 🚲

This one is self explanatory. Walking or riding a bike to work or the grocery store (when safe) is one of the best ways to help minimize air pollution. Not to mention it gives you a chance to be outside and get a great workout at the same time. You could also take public transit or carpool to reduce the amount of cars on the road!

Drop a comment below to let us know how you plan on celebrating Earth Day 2022!