Earth Day 2023 is almost upon us. 🌎 🌱

Highlighting issues such as climate change, carbon emissions, sustainability, recycling green initiatives and plastic waste, Earth Day is an important for bringing attention to the topics which matter most to our planet. 

As we know, climate change is one of the biggest threats to our generation meaning the time for action is now. 

So whether you’re an everyday citizen or a business reading this post, it’s possible for everyone to get involved with Earth Day 2023.

Here are the key details to know for this year’s event, plus information on how you can play a part. 

When Is Earth Day 2023?

Earth Day always falls on April 22. For Earth Day 2023, this will be on a Saturday. 

The day is being marked by a series of events happening across the globe either on or close to Earth Day itself. The event types range from talks in schools to educate young people about climate change, through to public cleanups of beaches.

With Earth Day falling on a weekend in 2023, this also gives the opportunity for families to get involved alongside businesses. 

So for anyone who has never taken part in Earth Day before, this couldn’t be a better year to start!

Earth Day 2023 Theme: Invest In Our Planet

Earth Day is an initiative which began in the 1970s when the discussion of climate change became more widespread. In recent years, the organisers have attached a theme to each year so that all aspects of climate change get attention.

In 2023, the theme for Earth Day is ‘invest in our planet’. 

Some of the areas the organisers cite as being important to this theme include: 

• Climate literacy

• End plastics

• Plant trees

• Vote Earth

• Global Cleanup

• Sustainable fashion 

Each of these avenues are excellent for individuals, businesses and governments to explore.

So whether you just want to educate yourself about these topics, or if you’re in a position to fund change then this is what the Earth Day 2023 theme is all about. 

How To Participate In Earth Day 2023

It’s possible to take part in an Earth Day 2023 event or even create your own event. To do either, head to the Earth Day website and register your interest. 

Even if you can’t make an official event, you can still play your part both on the day and going forward. This starts with educating yourself about the issues and how even small changes can have a huge positive impact. 

Earth Day 2023 For Individuals

When you’re just one person on this planet, the challenge of climate change can seem impossible to solve alone. In reality, each of us can have a positive impact even with smaller actions or changes we might do. 

It’s simply a case of being aware of what we can do and taking these climate-friendly steps. In fact, if every individual person could do the same it could have the biggest impact of all. 

Considering the aspects we mentioned above of the Earth Day 2023 theme, some steps could include:

Taking Part In Earth Day Events

The GoSquared team during a recent litter pick in London

How are you fixed on April 22, 2023? (Earth Day)

Some may only have an hour to spare, and others might be able to dedicate the whole day. Either way, Earth Day 2023 is your chance to make a personal contribution towards helping our planet. 

As an individual or even a group of friends, there’s a lot you can do to help with the climate cause. Scroll up and click on the Earth Day 2023 events link to find what’s on near you.

Taking part in any event is the easiest way to get involved. Though this is far from the only way as we’re about to run through. 

Understanding Your Personal Carbon Footprint

When was the last time you checked your carbon footprint?

Carbon footprint calculators consider many different aspects of how we all live. They can also compare your carbon consumption with others to see just how good or bad your habits really are. 

Some of the aspects a carbon calculator will ask you about include: 

• Home energy source and usage

• Car travel

• Flights

• Public transport 

• Meat consumption

• Internet use

• Clothing 

• Hobbies

The experience can be pretty insightful, especially considering it’s easy to overlook certain habits. For instance, on a recent EcoSend podcast we discovered that where you bank, invest or start a pension can have an impact on climate change. 

In many ways, it’s these hidden things that really need the attention on Earth Day 2023 and beyond. There’s no better place to start than understanding your carbon footprint. 

Read more: 5 Carbon Footprint Calculators To Help You Lower Your CO2 Emissions

Ditching Fashion Trends

The organisers of Earth Day 2023 have cited ‘sustainable fashion’ as a key focus area. 

There are two problem areas to address here, including fast fashion and the actual concept of fashion trends. 

Fast fashion encourages the mass production of garments. These garments often have huge carbon emissions attached to them. Worst still, the finished clothing isn’t made to last. 

Fashion trends in general mean all of a sudden a look is no longer ‘in’. Even if that garment is in perfectly good condition – someone, somewhere has decided you can’t wear it. The irony of all this is that some years later, that very garment will be ‘so on trend’ once again. Argh!

Take the recent resurgence of cargo pants as one just example. These will be the must-have fashion item while Earth Day 2023 is being held, despite being a trend from the early 2000s. Wear a pair even a year ago, and you’d be considered ‘unfashionable’. But now they are all the rage. How long until their popularity wanes and the cycle is repeated yet again?

Repeat this for every fashion trend and you can see where the problem lies.

Every time a trend comes and goes, that item has to be reproduced millions of times, when it existed perfectly well the first time. 

Ditching fashion trends is the only way to end the cycle and the harm it’s having on the planet, especially in terms of the fast fashion industry. 

Shopping Smarter

Whether you’re shopping for a new t-shirt or a new coffee table, there are ways to shop smarter to reduce the impact on the planet.

Some questions you may wish to ask before you purchase include:

• Do I need this item, or do I have something similar I could use instead?

• What is this item made from, and does it have an excessive carbon footprint?

• Will this item offer longevity, or will I need to replace it faster than another material?

• Does this company have good green credentials? 

All of this fits into Earth Day 2023’s call for ‘carbon literacy’.

If all of us paid attention to the purchases we made, we could make choices that impact the climate much less. This is especially the case if we opt for longevity and quality wherever possible. 

Stop Using Fake Grass in Your Garden

Fake grass may look green but climate change experts have warned it’s anything but.

Researchers from the University of Plymouth found that artificial grass contributes to global warming in several ways. As well as plastic grass absorbing more radiation than real grass, artificial lawns also displace living plants which could have removed carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. 

In addition, we also know that removing grass and other plants from our outdoor spaces disrupts the local ecosystem. So in a nutshell, anything but the real deal is bad for the environment.

Given Earth Day 2023 is in April, this is perfect for gardening season. Namely, removing any artificial lawn and replacing it with real grass! 

Earth Day 2023 For Businesses 

When it comes to getting involved with Earth Day 2023 as a business, why not start with our guide Becoming A Sustainable Business In 2023?

Considering the theme for this year is ‘invest in our planet’, and there are direct calls for businesses to do their part – this year is a huge opportunity for any business. 

No two businesses are the same. But what remains consistent, is the need to do business in a way which has the minimum impact possible for your business and industry as a whole. Terms such as net zero and carbon negative are all great aims here. 

In short, for Earth Day 2023, we want to think about your business and the climate to see where improvements can be made. We also want you to bring awareness to these changes so that your customers and even your competitors can get inspired to do their bit too. 

What GoSquared Is Doing To Help With The Fight Against Climate Change 

In 2022 we had a good think ourselves here at GoSquared about how we could reduce our carbon emissions.

Not many people realise their digital marketing has a carbon footprint. But with every email emitting up to 50g of carbon (depending on its size), and 300 billion emails sent per day on average, we saw an opportunity to help. 

That opportunity is our new climate-conscious email marketing tool EcoSend. 

To summarise, how we’re looking to do our bit for Earth Day 2023 and the climate as a whole includes:

• In March 2023 we launched EcoSend – the world’s first sustainable email marketing tool. 

• We also created a free email carbon calculator, so that businesses can measure their carbon emissions generated by digital marketing. 

• Our EcoSend podcast is now in its second series. 

• We joined the Good Business Charter as part of our commitment to look beyond profits as a business.

• Every month we hold CSR activities such as volunteering or litter picking to have a positive impact on our local environments and communities. 

• GoSquared/EcoSend is also now a remote company, meaning we do not generate carbon emissions with daily commutes to the office. A reduction in commuter carbon emissions is even one of the reasons why a four-day week has been called for by experts. 

• We’re continuing to learn as much as we can about how we as a team and individuals can have a positive impact on the climate. 

What’s been great as a team is that nobody needed persuading – everyone was immediately on board with the idea of EcoSend.

In addition, our clients new and existing have also been really supportive. Some even signed up for EcoSend before our official launch date! 

Get On Board With #ED2023 With EcoSend By GoSquared

Earth Day 2023 is set to raise plenty of awareness for the climate.

In the meantime, why not make a change right now to reduce your carbon emissions? If you do any kind of email marketing, then EcoSend will ensure your campaigns are sustainable. 

With packages starting at just $49 per month, we have a plan suitable for all businesses. Our systems run on renewable energy sources, and we’ll plant trees on your behalf just for using us. 

Sign up to EcoSend today and clean up your email marketing campaigns. We can’t wait to welcome you on board! 

Psst: If you’re taking part in Earth Day 2023, be sure to use the official hashtag #ED2023 on Twitter so we can keep up with your good work!