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Think of Earth Day as an opportunity to highlight the great work you do every day to ensure that your business reduces waste, becomes more energy efficient, and acts as a responsible steward of the planet.
Here are some fun — and educational ways — to celebrate this April 22:
1. Show your ecofriendliness on social
The week leading up to Earth Day, tell your customers about all your ecofriendly efforts by posting something new about it on social media every day. For example, you can highlight a local farmer from whom you source ingredients, post a photo of vintage pieces you used to furnish your business instead of buying new, or sharing data about how much energy you save by sourcing products locally.
2. Host a textile recycling drive
It’s easy to donate or sell unwanted clothing and home goods that are in excellent condition, but your customers might not know what to do with items that have seen better days. Keep those tricky pieces out of the landfill by teaming up with a textile recycling group and choosing a weekend for your business to serve as a drop-off site. Promote the drive on social media, and make it even more appealing by offering same-day discounts to customers who donate.
3. Educate in-store customers about how they can pitch in
Post signage around your store to teach customers about the environmental work most important to you. If you want customers to recycle, make the containers available and accessible, and post signage that explains why it’s important. Same goes for composting, which customers might not be as familiar with. Post information about how composting works and what it will be used for, like fertilizing community gardens.
4. Promote local and seasonal
From the ingredients for menu items to the flowers on the front desk, sourcing from nearby farmers and growers not only supports your community but also reduces your carbon footprint by eliminating the extensive air and road travel it takes to get exotic and out-of-season items. Your customers will appreciate knowing where things come from, so post a list of the producers you work with on your menu, signage around your store, or online.
If you’re a restaurant, consider an Earth Day celebration that highlights local products. You can invite patrons and sell tickets, with proceeds benefitting an environmental organization.
5. Support a good cause
Donate a portion of your sales on Earth Day (or a portion of special green products sold) to organizations that support environmental causes, or hold an event that benefits the community like cleaning up a local park or planting an urban garden. You could partner with other local businesses or nonprofits for the event and promotion. Even taking a minor role in an established event provides good brand exposure.
6. Celebrate your customers
Celebrate how ecofriendly your customers are with a giveaway or contest and/or by promoting their efforts on your social channels. Whether they’re going green by bringing in their own towel and reusable water bottle for a yoga class or using recycled coffee grounds for their rose garden, commend their efforts to keep your community and the Earth green year-round.
