Celebrated worldwide on April 22, Earth Day is a day all about protecting our environment by thinking globally while acting locally. Kansas City has several special Earth Day events to celebrate. Check out some local Earth Day events below!
Plus find 12 ideas for how your family can celebrate Earth Day April 22nd ... and every day.
Valued sponsors like New Roots for Refugees, Slow Motion Goods, and Maypop
help keep Macaroni Kid Kansas City a free community resource for families like you!
Celebrate Earth Day Every Day |
Celebrate Earth Day EVERY day by doing just a few things that are easy for you and your family, but will have a big impact when we all follow these good Earth-friendly practices:
At home:
- Buy dry goods in bulk, since they typically use less packaging.
- Start seeds and map out a family garden, or sign up for a CSA to cut down on the carbon footprint of your grocery bill. One of our sponsors is a local CSA, New Roots for Refugees, learn more about their farm share program at the bottom of this article.
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- Work on ways to reduce food waste, including meal planning, storing items properly, finding new ways to use leftovers, and preserving food you can’t use fast enough by freezing, canning, or dehydrating.
- Turn off lights when you leave a room and shut off the water when you’re not using it.
- Review which recyclables your local facility accepts, as they may add to their list periodically.
- The City of Olathe operates a year-round program for Johnson County residents to safely dispose of Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) at no charge. The Olathe HHW Facility offers weekday drop off by appointment only and a monthly drop-off event where no appointment is necessary. HHW is any unwanted household chemical that cannot be safely be discarded in the trash or down the drain because it contains ingredients that are toxic, flammable, reactive, or corrosive. Proper disposal prevents HHW from entering the environment, soil, groundwater and streams, which reduces harm to people and animals. On April 8th you can also take your paper items that need to be shred, for their Paper Shredding Event.
- Try an Earth-friendly craft:
Outside:
- Take a hike and enjoy being in nature. Bring a pair of gloves and a bag so you can pick up any trash you find along the way.
- Start a compost bin to use in your garden and flowerbeds.
- Make or buy a rain barrel and use the water you collect to water your plants.
- Learn about invasive species in your area and what you can do to help.
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At school:
- Find out what your school currently recycles and if there is anything else you can add. Some ideas might be:
- Talk with your school about alternative recycling programs that accept snack bar wrappers, juice pouches, and even offer fundraising options.
Need more ideas? Check out these websites:
Again, we want to give a huge thanks to our sponsors
New Roots for Refugees, Slow Motion Goods and Maypop!
New Roots is a refugee farmer training program based in KCK. The New Roots Farm Share program is a weekly vegetable subscription that allows customers to support our farm and farmers by paying upfront (or in installments) for several weeks of fresh, locally-grown vegetables. Beginning the second week of May 10, customers receive 5-7 items each week, such as beets, radishes, carrots, lettuce, potatoes, swiss chard, and more. We currently offer three different “share” options and have four public pick-up locations throughout Kansas City. To learn more or sign up, please visit our website.
Slow Motion Goods is an immersive, ethical shopping experience for thoughtful consumers. Our focus on ethical manufacturing and waste reduction is reflected in every aspect of our store. We keep already-made goods in motion and out of landfills by artfully reclaiming and renovating them. We'll also carry our own line of staple basics - MADI Apparel - intentionally and consciously made sewn goods that are designed by us, made locally, and donate a pair of underwear for every item sold.
Our goal is to promote mindful consumption by keeping new and used unwanted goods in motion with the effort of diverting waste from landfills. To learn about the re-branding of our store front and hear from founder Hayley Besheer Santell, check out our blog. Be sure to purchase your ticket to our rebranding Grand Opening Event, before tickets sell out!
Maypop believes dressing your children doesn't need to come at a large cost to the environment--or to your wallet. We provide Kansas City parents with an affordable, sustainable option for purchasing children's clothing. In doing so, we hope to foster a community of supportive parents who recognize the value and beauty of sustainable living. With the dream of someday opening a storefront, we currently operate out of studio space (where you can shop by appointment) where we plan our pop-ups and manage our website and instagram sales. All of our clothing and goods are sourced in KC, largely by buying directly from other families (making some of our best shoppers also our reliable suppliers). The connections and relationships we've built are our priority and we can't wait to continue growing Maypop together. Check out our website and our instagram to shop or find out where we'll be popping up next!
A huge thanks to our presenting sponsors New Roots for Refugees,
Slow Motion Goods
and Maypop! Sponsors keep Macaroni KID Kansas City a
free community resource, so please support them whenever possible!
