April is Earth Month, a time when we are typically stepping outside more. As we examine how our properties fared through the winter, we clean up our yards at home and shine up our storefronts. Many of our communities hold spring clean-up days, preparing for the anticipated visitors that summer brings.
Earthday.org, the global organizer of Earth Day, recently announced that the theme for Earth Day 2022 will be “Invest in Our Planet.” Earth Day, April 22, is focused on accelerating solutions to combat our greatest threat, climate change, and to activate everyone— governments, citizens, and businesses—to do their part. Everyone accounted for, and everyone accountable.
As an individual, family, or business, it may seem overwhelming to consider how we can have a meaningful impact on our region, let alone the Earth. But it is often the collective small steps that drive change. For those old enough to remember when our highways were lined with trash, we can acknowledge that the campaign “Don’t be a Litterbug” has had long and lasting results. We would not think of tossing a Styrofoam cup out our car window now, even if no one was watching.
At the Chamber, we have committed to reducing and recycling as much as possible, resulting in very little garbage from our office going to the landfill. Our staff participates in the community clean-up days and, while we are always surprised by the amount of trash that continues to accumulate over the winter, we are just as surprised by the impact we can make in a few hours.
It is clear when we talk with our members and with those in the community that there is a heightened awareness of climate change and our impact on the environment. And there is a willingness by most to make small changes to contribute to positive change.
“It can feel impossible when you think about all that needs to be done to help the environment, but consider adding one habit at a time and work from there,” said Ashley Sheffer, co-owner of Core Goods in Oil City. “At Core Goods, our goal is to make it easier for people to add that one thing. Whether it is using jars to shop the bulk bins, shopping for package-free produce, returning a container, or growing their own food at home.”
While the size of a business certainly can make implementing change at your workplace harder, it can also have an even larger impact.
We spoke with Stacy Ginkel at KJ Consulting & Environmental Services, LLC, too, who told us: “Our employees are encouraged to not leave their vehicles running and to make sure they leave zero waste while out on the projects. These small changes bring an awareness to how we all play a part in protecting the climate.”
So, how can your business join us in April, to make small changes that will become habits for the future?
“The environment is where we all meet; where all have a mutual interest; it is the one thing all of us share.” —Lady Bird Johnson
IDEAS
• Add plants to the office
• Encourage employees to collect trash outside the office, while walking from the parking lot, etc.
• Add a compost bin to the kitchen
• Encourage reusable food and drink containers
• Encourage and enable office recycling
• Turn off lights when not in use
EVENTS
• Oil City Main Street Clean Up Day – April 20th
• Oil Creek State Park Earth Day Clean Up – April 23rd
• S.P.I.F.I.Y. Day (stands for “Show Pride In Franklin, It’s Yours.”) – May 4th
• PennDOT seeking volunteers for roadside cleanup efforts
This article was published in the Venango Chamber’s April 2022 VenangoWorks! Newsletter.