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100 things you can do to help the environment 

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100 things you can do to help the environment 

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It's time to act now to stop burning fossil fuels, wasting plastic and polluting the planet. Although there are a lot of policies that need to come from our local, state, federal, and global leaders, there are also many many things YOU can do to make a difference. This list offers a few answers

As you can see, this is preliminary, and in no particular order-- hodge-podge of suggestions from Toiyabe Chapter leaders. It will keep growing as we continue our research and add links to solutions.

And if you have any great suggestions, please send them to us. If you can provide links to more information, or great products, please include them as well.

Together we can make a better world.

1. Shop at thrift stores: great prices, your purchase usually supports a good organization: this is "Reuse" part of "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle."

2. Drive the speed limit.

3. Consider buying or renting a smaller house/apartment. This will save on energy used for space heating/cooling

4. Walk your kids to school.

5. Carpool whenever you can.

6. Live close to where you work.

7. Practice "trip-chaining." Save up your errands and when you must use your car, use it to go to as many destinations as possible in one trip, rather than taking a lot of out-and-back trips.

8. Before you buy or rent a home or apartment, use an app like Walk Score to determine the walkability of your potential neighborhood.

9. Check the Energy Star rating of any appliances you buy and go for highest rating you can afford.

10. Consider sharing tools and appliances with friends, neighbors and family rather than buying your own.

11. Use low-VOC paints

12. Dispose properly of household hazardous waste - your waste and/or recycling provider should have a program for this.

13. NEVER flush unused medications down the toilet. Contact your public health department for places to donate the materials or for information on how to properly discard them.

14. Plant trees. Every tree is a mini-carbon sink. In our climate the shade cast from trees lowers cooling needs.

15. In summer, set your thermostat higher; close shades and curtains on the sunny side of your home; never let sun shine directly into your house; never leave doors and windows open when it's hotter outside than in; after it cools in the evening, or first thing in the morning before it gets hot, open doors and windows.

16. In winter, open blinds and curtains on the sunny side of your house to let sun shine in; turn your thermostat down so far that the heater NEVER kicks on at night, and sleep under a warm quilt.

17. Consider ditching your car completely (or as often as possible) and using public transportation, biking, walking, and car sharing.

18. Put solar panels up on your roof.

19. Buy an electric vehicle.

20. If you must fly, purchase the carbon offsets.

21. Buy battery-operated tools for shop and garden rather than gas-powered ones.

22. Buy wash and wear clothes that don't require dry cleaning and wear clothes more than once before washing them.

23. Divest from fossil fuels. Select only socially responsible mutual funds and stocks. Move to another investment firm if the one you use doesn't have that option.

24. Sign up for the renewables-only option from your power utility if you don't have solar panels on your roof.

25. Wash out plastic bags that bread and food comes in and plastic baggies and reuse them. I haven't bought plastic bags or plastic wrap in years.

26. Pick up trash when you see it on the ground even if it isn't yours.

27. Organize a community project to fundraise and put solar panels on your local churches, government buildings, community centers, recreation centers, etc.

28. Help emergency services in your area have solar, off-grid capabilities to continue functioning when the power goes off, e.g. hospital, waste treatment, groundwater pumps, water treatment plants, electricity at the disaster evacuation site, etc.

29. Fire-harden your home. Rebuilding a house is involves enormous carbon emissions.

30. Upgrade your home to current building standards or better to achieve maximum energy efficiency.

31. Trade out filament light bulbs for new LED bulbs. You will recoup the expense in just months and probably never need to change the LEDs.

32. Turn out the lights not being used, including outside lights.

33. Ask your town/city council to provide financial incentives to upgrade homes to make them more wildfire resilient, more energy efficient, and to add rooftop solar, i.e. low permit fees, rebates, zero interest loans, etc.

34. Ask your town/city council to have a Climate Action Plan and to determine its baseline energy usage and GHG Emissions.

35. Organize a community project to install level 2 EV chargers in public places in your community.

36. Organize a solar walk in your community or a home tour of households that have "greened up".

37. Learn, get educated on issues and solutions so you can help make America Green Again.

38. Participate in stewardship projects to remove trash, pull invasive plants, plant trees, build hiking trails, etc.

39. If you are wealthy, put solar panels on public buildings, give energy efficient stoves to third world countries, etc.

40. Campaign and vote for green candidates.

41. Buy local food, thus saving transportation emissions. When confronted with a choice between organic food from farther away, or conventional food that's local, choose local; it's the least-toxic option.

42. Eat low on the food chain. A vegetarian or vegan diet is a low-carbon diet. If not ready to go fully vegetarian or vegan, consider one or more meat-free days a week, like #MeatlessMondays

43. Buy foods in bulk and avoid the packaging.

44. Compost food scraps for using in your yard, or to feed your neighbor's chickens.

45. Start a vegetable garden. The carbon emission of garden to kitchen is zero compared to food transported to and from grocery stores.

46. Bring reusable bags to the grocery and other stores -- treat them well as it also takes energy and water to manufacture.

47. Substitute simple cleaning formulas whenever they get comparable results -- soap, water, bleach, vinegar.

48. Collect memories not things. they can stop collecting things from the natural world and bringing it home...rocks, pine cones, shells, fossils, minerals, old glass bottles, old stuff laying around the desert...it is much more interesting when these things are in their natural environment and in context. People can also stop collecting store bought items for their homes...I just stayed at a home where they collected baseball caps, clowns, all things fitting into a seaside theme, dolls, old board games, and more. Everything has to be manufactured and that usually takes natural resources.

49. Encourage political candidates who embrace carbon-emission reductions through personal, corporate, and government policy.

50. Divest your savings from fossil fuels. Ask your financial managers about sustainable investing, or socially responsible investing. Morningstar provides information. I (Jane) divested my inheritance in 2010; haven't lost money yet.

51. Buy an electric car.

52. Walk. It's healthy

53. Insulate your home. Get a free efficiency inspection from NV Energy. Start your insulation in the attic and the roof. Install double or triple-paned, argon-filled windows. Do it super-duper: insulate your walls.

54. Install geothermal heat sink for home heating/air conditioning.

55. Stop using Roundup and other chemical weed killers. They have been demonstrated to cause cancer; glyphosate, one of Rounup's ingredients, kills bees and other pollinators.

56. Instead, use this organic weed-killer: 1 gallon vinegar, 2 cups epsom salt, ½ cup Dawn dishsoap.

57. Start carrying your own...Utensils, or our Executive Committee's favorite: the Cup, Bowl/plate, Bags for shopping

58. Replace all incandescent and CFL bulbs with LEDs

59. Get a programmable thermostat. then program it to be off when you're not home, or when you're asleep.

60. Plant native plants--they use less water, require fewer pesticides, and they support healthy native wildlife and pollinators.

61. Dispose of used batteries and fluorescent light bulbs properly.

62. Dispose of unused prescription drugs properly - Don't flush them down the toilet or toss them out with food waste.

63. Compost

64. Ride a bicycle instead of driving whenever possible.

65. Buy organic, locally-grown vegetables whenever possible.

66. Wash clothes using cold or warm (not hot) water and wash with full loads.

67. Run dishwasher only when full, or wash by hand without letting faucet run continuously.

68. Recycle and try to avoid items with plastic packaging.

69. Install low-flow shower heads and low-volume toilets or 2-flush type toilets.

70. Use less saran wrap, aluminum foil in the kitchen

71. Use tree-free toilet paper and paper towels (hemp and bamboo alternatives exist).

72. Use reclaimed building materials whenever possible for construction projects.

73. Double-side photocopies; use GOOS (Good On One Side) for all print jobs. And do you really need to print that document?

74. Buy recycled paper products.

75. Take a stewardship vacation.

76. Join and volunteer for a grassroots environmental organization - like Sierra Club!

77. Include a bequest to a conservation non-profit in your estate planning.

78. Your ideas here....

We cannot continue to do the same things and expect different results. Let's work together to change the ways we all do the things in our lives.

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100 Things You Can Do to Save the Planet

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A list of suggestions from Toiyabe Chapter leaders on things each of us can do every day to make the planet a better place.

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Get ideas for how you can "go green" in your home, school, or community.

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Nowadays, it seems like everyone is talking about sustainable living. But they are also talking about going green, being eco-friendly, earth-friendly, and many other buzzwords! How can you know what is the difference between going green and sustainability? We'll tell you exactly what to know, and how to start living both green and sustainably right now.

Going Green: What Does it Mean and How to Start

"Going green" is all over the news, commercials, our social media feeds, and in stores as well. But just exactly what does going green mean? The better you understand what it means to go green, the better you will be successful at helping to make a difference.

1. Going Green: A PR Campaign?

"Going green" can be used by some companies as a PR campaign to hide other not-so-earth-friendly practices. They may look at their supply chain and make a few small changes while not looking at the bigger picture.

For example, a clothing company might create a sustainable line of clothing, while neglecting the fact that by being a clothing company in today's world of fast fashion, they are inherently causing damage to the earth by being a consumption-based company.

However, there are many companies that do try to make a genuine change, and you can too!

2. Conserve Resources

The earth's resources are being consumed faster than we can sustain them - the trees that make paper, houses, and furniture, the water we drink, and the natural metals and compounds that create the things we use for living are examples of earth's resources we use every day. An important part of going green is to conserve resources we consume.

3. Reduce Pollution

In our everyday lives, pollution is a part of living. From the soap that goes down the drain, to the food packaging we throw out, and the gas that is emitted during transportation - we are polluting all day long. Try to become cognizant of times when you are releasing chemicals or products into the environment, and think of ways you can reduce the amounts.

4. Conserve Energy

In recent decades, humankind has come to realize that many of our current energy sources (natural gas, coal, water) are finite. There are also still some issues with sustainability harvesting sunlight as an energy source as well (solar panels contain toxic materials and need to be frequently replaced). The best thing to do for the earth right now is to conserve your energy use overall.

5. Reduce Consumption

Recycling alone just won't cut it anymore. If you really want to be as green as possible, you need to start by reducing overall consumption.

When purchasing something, ask yourself, "Do I really need this?" Think about if you already have something similar that you can use instead of buying new. If you definitely need something new, see about buying used or borrowing from a friend.

6. Reduce Waste

When you reduce waste, it means using items until you absolutely cannot use them anymore. Ultimately, that means less items end up in the landfill, and there is less need for production of replacement items.

What is Sustainability?

Sustainability can be defined as, "the quality of not being harmful to the environment or depleting natural resources, and thereby supporting long-term ecological balance."

Sustainability is about remembering that the earth is made up of finite sources, and taking steps to maintain that the earth will be able to sustain itself over the long-term. It is not just about plants, but also includes the welfare of the global community.

Define Eco-Friendly

Being eco-friendly means thinking about the ecology of the earth and making sure the products you consume, and the practices you keep, have a minimal impact on the earth itself.

Eco-Friendly Products

Many products will be labeled as eco-friendly, but what exactly does that mean?

First of all, the products should be non-toxic. This means that they are made without toxic materials or toxic pesticides and herbicides. Eco-friendly products may be made with recycled materials such as glass, wood, metal, or plastics that have been broken down from a wasted item and reconstituted into something new.

Eco-friendly products should contain ingredients that were sustainably grown or manufactured - which means to be done so with minimal damage to the earth and community where they come from.

Greenwashing

Unfortunately, some companies participate in " greenwashing " which is to label a product as "eco-friendly" or "environmentally friendly" without doing due diligence to make sure that is correct.

Other companies may produce "eco-friendly" products to cover up other not eco-friendly practices within the supply chain. To avoid falling for this, make sure to thoroughly research a brand before you buy. Don't just believe labels unless they are certified statements.

Misconception: Why the Confusion?

Many industries have started noticing their impact of their sourcing, manufacturing, and distributing on the earth. While many companies have traditionally worked towards a sustainable future, they may not have environmentally-friendly or "green" practices.

What Can You Do?

Start with these tips, and you'll be living greener in no time.

1. Setting Goals

The first step is to set goals for yourself or your organization. Setting goals means that you have something in mind and you take steps to get you there. For example, a goal could be to stop using disposable coffee cups. Start small by bringing your travel mug with you at least once a week, and move up to every day.

Don't get down if you forget, just try to remember next time! You can start slow by making small changes and work your way up the sustainable, environmentally friendly ladder.

2. The Lifestyle: Living Sustainably

Once you start to learn about all the things you can and should do for sustainable living, it can become overwhelming and you may feel like you could never live fully sustainably. But remember, it is a lifestyle choice and a journey.

You can start small and work your way up to more challenging ways of sustainable living.

3. Reduce Light Usage

Remembering to turn off the lights (or any appliances) when you aren't using them is an easy way to conserve energy. You can also try to buy energy efficient light bulbs and appliances.

4. Use Less Water

Using less water is another way you can conserve resources and consume less. Turn off the water when you are scrubbing dishes or brushing your teeth. Try taking shorter showers, and avoid unnecessary baths.

5. Drive Less

Use other modes of transportation such as walking or biking instead of taking your car. If you do need a vehicle, try taking public transportation or carpooling to reduce your carbon footprint.

6. Reuse

Reusing items and products is an integral part of living an environmentally friendly lifestyle. By reusing, you are limiting waste, and reducing a need for further manufacturing of new things.

7. Buy Local

When you buy local, you are not only supporting local farms and businesses, but you are supporting the global environment by reducing shipping fuels from foods and supplies that have to travel long distances.

What is the Difference Between Going Green and Sustainability and Eco-Friendly?

Many people confuse going green, sustainability, and eco-friendly - but the differences between the three aren't so difficult once you look into it.

Simply put:

Going green refers to all aspects of environmentally-friendly products from fashion to buildings to the movement as a whole.

Eco-friendly means that a product, practice, or activity won't harm the environment.

Sustainability means that what we do today doesn't deplete resources for future generations.

Buying Green vs Buying Sustainable

Some products may be considered green due to their makeup, but they may not be considered sustainable due to their production.

For example, a product made from renewable sources such as a wooden hairbrush is considered green, however if a life-cycle analysis of the production process showed that it takes a lot of energy to manufacture and ship and there is no way to properly dispose of the hairbrush when you are finished, it is not sustainable.

Ideally, you should try to find brands and products that are both green and sustainable.

Clean vs. Nontoxic vs. Organic

This one is also simple once you learn that "clean" means free of chemicals or materials that are synthetic, and are usually natural ingredients only.

Non-toxic means something does not contain chemicals or materials that are harmful to humans or the environment.

Organic means ingredients are grown without pesticides or herbicides. Organic products have a rigid certification process that varies by country, however the other two claims, clean and non-toxic, do not.

Impact on Future Generations

When it comes to impact on future generations, each is just as significant as the other. Without green and eco-friendly products and practices, the earth will suffer; and without sustainable activities, we may deplete resources.

Online University: The Green Way to Study

University of the People is the ultimate green school - as a fully online university, there is no carbon footprint from travel to classes, no energy used to operate facilities, no physical resources used to build buildings, technology, and books. A truly zero-waste way to get a degree!

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Going Green: What Does it Mean and How to Start

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Confused about environmental terms? Learn what is the difference between going green and sustainability, and how to start living more eco-friendly yourself.

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What Does It Mean To Go Green And Why You Should Make The Change!

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In simple terms, to go green means finding a balance between the life you lead, the impact that life and your choices have on the planet and being mindful enough to help maintain ecological balance.

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Help The Environment By Going GREEN (Eco-Friendly Lifestyle)

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Going Green Song / Earth Day / Environment / Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

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Reduce

Recycle

Reuse

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Everyone can make a difference in making the Earth a healthier place to live. Implementing a policy of reducing, reusing, and recycling in your home or office is a great place to start.

Ready for some go-green ideas? Here are a few easy-to-implement steps to help you embrace the "3 Rs" around your home.

Reduce

In order to be as environmentally friendly as possible, commit to using natural or homemade cleaners.

Every few months, you can make batches of homemade cleaning products from ingredients like vinegar, baking soda, lemon, and essential oils.

These nontoxic cleaning products will keep your home, the Earth, and your family healthy.

BONUS: They will also save you money!

Peek around your home and see what changes you can make in order to use less energy, and clean more effectively. For example, wash windows only during the spring or fall so you don't allow heating or cooling to escape.

Running your dishwasher and (clothes) washing machine only when they are full will ensure you make good use of your water. Run both on cold cycles in order to save on energy used to heat the water. Most detergents are actually proven to work better in cold water.

You can also reduce clutter by going paperless at home and at the office. To start, be sure to think before you print. Do you really need a hard copy of that document or can you reference it from your laptop? Changing your printing habits also saves your company money.

Another suggestion is to minimize your junk mail. Do you really need all those catalogs??

Catalogs not only clutter up your home and workspace but their production and delivery also leave a big carbon footprint.

When you receive a catalog that you don't read or purchase from, contact the company to be removed from their mailing list.

Consider shifting to paperless utility billing. Contact your bill providers to send you electronic bills as well. This saves you time, reduces clutter, and reduces your environmental impact.

Reducing what you own can also have a great impact on the environment. If you have less, you have to clean less. This means fewer cleaners used, less time spent, and less waste.
Tips

Begin by donating anything you haven't used within the last six months.

Then incorporate a "donation bin" in your home so that you can add items you no longer use and make regular trips to drop off those seldom-used items to people in need.

Reuse

Instead of purchasing disposable products like paper towels and napkins, think reusable. This DIY unpaper towels tutoria l is great for those who might be intimidated by a sewing machine (or don't even own one).

A set of microfiber cloths or rags cut from old T-shirts will clean your space effectively and can be washed and reused over and over again.

Keep a stack of cleaning cloths in a drawer or basket in the kitchen so you can grab them like paper towels.

Making environmentally friendly options easy to use is key to their success. Cloth napkins not only add sophistication to dinner but can be used for years. Reusing makes a positive environmental impact, and it saves you money.

The items that are cluttering up your home could make a huge difference to someone in need. Pass along extra coats, clothing, kitchen items, and toys to your local soup kitchen, shelter, or Goodwill donation facility. This reduces the clutter in your home, helps someone in need, and keeps these items out of a landfill.

Tip: Buy items that you do use in bulk to not only save money but also cut down on packaging. For example, instead of five small plastic bottles of all-purpose cleaner to recycle, you only need to recycle one larger bottle. Some stores will even allow you to bring in your own packaging for dry goods sold in bulk, like rice and beans.

Recycle

Most people don't understand everything that can be recycled. Even if they know something can be recycled, they often don't know where to drop it off, or how to do so. We've got a handy guide that will help you understand how and where to recycle just about anything, including old cleaning supplies.

Understanding what can be recycled is the first step to being completely sustainable. Once you have educated yourself on what can be recycled in your geographic area, you can make smarter purchasing decisions based on what you can and can't recycle locally.

Tip: Create a chart of how to sort and prepare items for recycling and place it near your recycling bins. This will help everyone in your household or office be as effective as possible. It's important to take note of any item's extra requirements for recycling.

Reducing your environmental impact is a series of small decisions and steps, taken every single day. Educating yourself, understanding your options then making purposeful decisions about the products you buy is the best way you can decrease your impact on our planet.
About the Author Bonnie Joy Dewkett is a green cleaning expert and writer for Feature image courtesy of Jenny Parkins (Flickr). For more cleaning and organizing tips, visit her website, The Joyful Organizer.

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Go Green Ideas: How To Apply the '3 Rs' at Home

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Implementing reduce, reuse, recycle at home is easy. Here are a few easy-to-implement go green ideas for your home cleaning routine.

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… in social events to help clean up. If no one is hosting one ,host one yourself! This is a great way to bond with your community while helping the environment.

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Looking for a way to give back to your community? Organizing a neighborhood cleanup is a great way to do just that while also making your neighborhood a better place to live.

For a community cleanup to be successful, it must be well-planned. From picking the right project to recruiting enough volunteers, putting together an effective event takes effort.

Keep reading for tips you and your organization can use to plan a community cleanup that makes a real impact.

Tips for Planning a Community Cleanup

1. Pick the Right Project for Your Community

Choose the area of focus for your neighborhood cleanup carefully. The right project is one that fixes an existing problem and inspires others to get involved.

Community cleanup projects can come in many forms:

Trash and litter collection

Beautification projects

Flower planting incentives

Beach cleanups

River cleanups

Pick a project that isn't being addressed by other local efforts. Is your beach dirty? Is garbage in the river endangering local animals? Is your block looking rough? Is your local park in need of new plants and a fresh coat of paint on playground equipment?

When choosing your community cleanup project, keep in mind certain efforts, like painting playground equipment in a city park, may require permission or permitting from the city. Include this in your project timeline.

2. Make a Detailed Event Plan

Once you've chosen the right way to clean up your community, it's important to make a specific plan for the event.

Your plan should include:

Date and possible rain date.

Meeting location with access to restrooms for volunteers.

Number of volunteers needed and initiatives to recruit them.

Outline of all the work to be completed before the event and the day of.

List of supplies you will need for your specific project.

List of required permits or licenses needed.

Schedule of events for the day of your community cleanup.

Post-event steps.

This detailed plan will help you organize a neighborhood cleanup that is efficient and fun.

3. Choose an Enthusiastic Leader

Your neighborhood cleanup needs a project coordinator to be the go-to-person for all planning needs (maybe that's you!). The leader should have some event planning experience and be involved from the beginning.

The leader of the event should also have a team or committee of people they can delegate parts of the plan to.

4. Recruit Volunteers Early

Cleaning up a community is reliant on volunteers. Begin recruiting efforts a month or more before the event to make sure you have enough support.

Use different methods to reach a wide audience:

Tell neighbors, friends, community members, local businesses, churches and other organizations about your event.

Create a flyer highlighting the details of the cleanup and distribute it.

Promote the event on social media.

Ask neighborhood organizations to promote the event in newsletters.

Add the event to online community event calendars.

When recruiting, ask volunteers to sign up so you know who is coming and how much more recruiting you need to do. Keep in mind that volunteers may sign up but not show up on the day of the event, so recruit more volunteers than you need.

Send a reminder to those who have signed up a few days before the event, says Kate White, director of marketing at SignUpGenius.

"Make sure to include any relevant information about parking, volunteer check-in and policies/waivers. Also, make sure to thank them ahead of time and let them know how they fit into the bigger picture of your organization. Using an online sign up service that sends automatic reminders can also help boost volunteer turnout for your clean up!"
Kate White | Director of Marketing, SignUpGenius

5. Get Supplies Donated

Unless you have a budget for your event, the most economical approach is to request supply donations for your neighborhood cleanup. Make a list of your needs as well as the estimated costs and ask local businesses to donate the funds or the items themselves. Hardware stores are a good place to start.

You may be able to request supplies from the city government. Reach out early to find out if they have any programs your event qualifies for or if they can connect you to any other organizations.

Depending on the size and type of your neighborhood cleanup, another option is to ask your volunteers to bring the items from home.

"When Bridging The Gap organizes volunteers for a litter clean-up, we provide litter grabbers, fabric and vinyl gloves, and trash bags. Our Tool Lending Shed provides trash bags and gloves and loans out litter grabbers, rakes, shovels, spades, loppers and other yard tools at no cost."
John Fish | Bridging the Gap
Supplies for community cleanup:

Trash bags

Shovels

Rakes

Gloves

Paint and paintbrushes

Wheelbarrows

Gardening materials, like plants and mulch

6. Assign Specific Tasks During the Cleanup

Having a lot of volunteers is great, but they will lose their enthusiasm if they don't know what to do. This is where your detailed plan will come in handy.

During your community cleanup, divide your volunteers into groups. Assign each group a specific project. Provide them with a written outline of their task, the required supplies and a map of the locations to work at (if applicable), along with the locations of bathrooms, refreshments and other necessities.
Group tasks can include:

Cleaning a specific street or block.

Delivering water and snacks to other volunteers.

Assisting with volunteer check-in.

Taking pictures of the event.

Separating garbage from recyclables during litter collection.

Painting playground equipment.

Planting or mulching an area.

When providing group instructions, remember to give instructions for cleaning up after the project is complete. Instruct volunteers to wash paint brushes if their job is painting or to sweep the sidewalk if their job is weeding or cutting grass.

Also include contact information for the cleanup leaders in case the volunteer groups have any issues.

7. Make a Plan for Debris Removal

You will need to have a way to get rid of debris at your community cleanup. Whether your volunteers are picking up debris or planting flowers, there will be garbage to get rid of. Call your city government and ask about options for scheduling a pickup for trash and recycling. If you expect to collect or create a lot waste, considering renting a dumpster.

Budget Dumpster offers donations to qualifying events around the country. If you would like your community cleanup to be considered for a dumpster donation, fill out our request form.

Other disposal options include assigning volunteers to drive debris to the local landfill or working with a local business to leave the waste in their dumpster.

8. Reward Your Volunteers

After your neighborhood cleanup is complete, reward your volunteers. A post-cleanup party would be ideal, but other ways to thank your volunteers include providing snacks, a t-shirt or simply sending handwritten thank-you notes.

Showing your volunteers how important they are will encourage them to attend your next event.

"Share appreciation for the gift of [the volunteers'] time...Send a thank you email after the event and include a 'save the date' for your next service opportunity. Post photos on social media - such as before and after shots showing how volunteers transformed the community space."
Kate White | Director of Marketing, SignUpGenius

Ready to Plan a Community Cleanup?

Now that you know how to plan a community cleanup, use these tips to pull together an event that will have a positive impact on your hometown. Be sure to share the lessons you learn in the comments below.

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Looking for a way to give back to your community? Organizing a neighborhood cleanup is a great way to do just that while also making your neighborhood a better place to live. For a community cleanup to be successful, it must be well-planned.

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If we all do our part in saving precious water supplies, we can make a huge difference for the environment.

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Any tree. Even one tree makes a difference :)

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America is blessed with a stunning diversity of public National Forests. From urbanites in big cities to families in rural towns, we are all connected to these forests.

Natural disturbances, such as wildfire, insects and disease outbreaks, are jeopardizing the very things that make forests so wonderful.
That's why we're planting millions of trees and reforesting thousands of acres of National Forests.
On Earth Day 2023, we reached our fundraising goal for the 50 Million For Our Forests campaign, planting 50 million trees by the end of 2025. See our progress toward planting those 50 million trees here. That's just the beginning. We are scaling up our efforts to meet the growing reforestation need on National Forests.

We invite everyone - individuals and businesses alike - to join us as we replant National Forests. We make it easy - $1 plants one tree on a National Forest in need of tree planting.

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America is blessed with a stunning diversity of public National Forests. From urbanites in big cities to families in rural towns, we are all connected to these forests. Natural disturbances, such as wildfire, insects and disease outbreaks, are jeopardizing the very things that make forests so wonderful.

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You’ve heard that one before ;) Use cloth bags when shopping.

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Seems like everywhere you look there's litter! Increased amounts of roadside litter implies people are less are concerned about the future of our natural resources, wildlife and the environmental impact. See what other states are doing and taking action to beautify their state:
Which call to action campaign do you think has the most impact?
Don't Mess With Texas - Texas

Don't mess with Texas, a 30 year campaign has taught Texans the real cost of littering.

Protect Every Drop - California

Protect Every Drop The pathway of stormwater pollution impacts drinking water, water to swim in and water where you fish from.

Love the Boot Don't Pollute - Louisiana

Louisiana's new slogan will bring renewed attention to reducing litter in the Bayou State.

Pick it up, Philly - Pennsylvania
Philadelphians are taking pride in their communities to create a litter free city.

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Seems like everywhere you look there's litter! Increased amounts of roadside litter implies people are less are concerned about the future of our natural resources, wildlife and the environmental impact. See what other states are doing and taking action to beautify their state: Which call to action campaign do you think has the most impact?

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Listen to a song

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We are ordering trash picker-uppers and reusable trash bags