Earth Week 2023 presents a very important theme this year: Invest in Our Planet. This theme was selected with the hope to inspire people, businesses, and governments around the world to start making proactive choices in order to benefit our planet in the long run. We are all responsible for the climate crisis happening today, but that also means we all have the power to improve the planet for the generations to come.
As college students, we may feel too small to make any big impact on the environment but there are so many simple changes you can make in your daily life to help. Easy switches from plastic water bottles to refillable bottles, plastic shopping bags to reusable bags, or even walking instead of driving can go a long way. On top of that, always be on the lookout for opportunities to get involved in your community, whether it be volunteering or cleanups. Plus, make sure to be paying attention to the businesses you are supporting and make the switch to shopping sustainably.
According to SustainablyChic, many popular clothing brands that are known for their extreme damage to the environment include, Shein, H&M, Forever 21, Primark, Zara, Brandy Melville, Garage, and more. Those low prices may be tempting, but have you ever questioned how these companies are managing to achieve those numbers? Another article by SustainablyChic gives a list of some affordable and sustainable clothing brands including Pact, Tamga, Wearwell, and Made Trade.
As mentioned before, shopping sustainably and making environmentally friendly choices may be the more expensive option, but that is the exact reason this year’s Earth Week theme is Invest in Our Planet. Sustainable options are usually more expensive because rather than the environment suffering in order to make quick and cheap products, there is more time and effort being put into the eco-friendly option.
Remember that these simple switches are all for an extremely crucial cause. We rely on our planet for all the natural resources we use on a daily basis, we would essentially be lost without it. Some risks we could face in the future include, but are not limited to, increased animal extinction from deforestation and pollution, rising sea levels, worsened air quality, etc. We are so lucky to live on such a beautiful planet, why would we ever want to see it become ruined?
While Earth Week may be ending, that does not mean our efforts should end as well. Everyday is Earth Day when we are in the fight to save our planet.