How to Celebrate Earth Day at Work

What is Earth Day?

Earth Day is an annually celebrated holiday that honors the earth and all of its beauty. This nationally recognized day can also be filled with an outpouring of gratitude and thanks from people around the world for all of the things the Earth does to sustain life.

Along with honoring its beauty, Earth Day is a holiday that raises awareness, encourages people to practice sustainability, and offers innovative ways to protect the Earth’s natural resources. The environment is something that many people strive to protect, and Earth Day can be a great day to advertise those efforts and to make change happen.

When is Earth Day this year?

Earth Day in the United States is always celebrated on April 22, and this year, it falls on a Saturday. The rest of the world tends to celebrate Earth Day either on April 22 like the United States, or on the day of the Spring Equinox.

What is the history of Earth Day?

The first Earth Day was celebrated in 1970 after a Harvard graduate student organized an event to educate people on conservation and environmental protection. More than 20 million people participated around the United States, which pushed the government to update the Clean Air Act. The Endangered Species Act of 1973 was also signed into law as a result of the Earth Day event. The support of the American people after the event also helped these bills become law. Based on the success of the event and from the education that was received, Earth Day is now seen as a day to enforce environmental changes and to honor the Earth’s ability to sustain life.

What are some ways to celebrate earth day at work?

There can be many different ways to honor and celebrate Earth Day, especially while at work. Earth Day can be a day to think about sustainable changes we can make to our daily habits and what we can do to protect the resources that we have. Switching to more sustainable products, being mindful of our carbon footprint, and turning the lights off can be simple ways to honor Mother Earth both at home and in the office. Here are a few more ideas for celebrating Earth Day at work:

• Switch to more sustainable cleaning products: Having fewer chemicals in the air, on surfaces, and in the water at work can be good for the environment. It can also help to get rid of unnecessary pollution which can cause illnesses. Some chemicals that can be found in cleaning products can be toxic for people to breathe in, can be bad for the skin, as well as hurt other surfaces. Advocating for cleaner products can be a good change for the Earth, for the office, and for the people who are using them.
• Less single-use products: If your company has the means, try cutting down on the number of single-use breakroom supplies, such as paper plates and plastic utensils. Using ceramic dishes and metal utensils can be a more environmentally friendly option.
• Use automatic lights to save energy: Installing motion sensor lights can save energy and electricity within the office. Using less electricity can also mean that your company saves money.
• Raise money to give back: Having a fundraiser to give back to your company’s favorite conservation organizations can be a good way to celebrate Earth Day. Whether each employee fundraises on their own, or it’s a group effort, the money that is raised can help fund new efforts to protect the planet.
• Plant trees as a company: Planting trees can be a great springtime activity for a company to honor the Earth. It can also double as a way for employees to bond and get to know each other better outside of work. Since trees provide us with oxygen which helps us live, planting more can only do good for the Earth.
• Utilize the RightCycle Program: Recycling your paper, plastic, and glass products is a great start, but products like disposable gloves, safety glasses, and other personal protective apparel can be recycled as well. Kimberly-Clark Professional has developed a process to turn these used products into new consumer goods which can help your company make an impact on the planet. If you work in a hospital, medical center, or another business that uses these kinds of products, it can be beneficial to investigate this program.

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How can the RightCycle program benefit the Earth?

Hospitals, medical facilities, universities, and many other businesses use products like nitrile gloves, masks and respirators, safety glasses, and single-use lab coats daily. Instead of allowing the used personal protective equipment and supplies to end up in a landfill, Kimberly-Clark Professional has developed a way to turn them into consumer goods. Here are the four steps that are involved in the RightCycle program:

1. Using eligible Kimberly-Clark Professional supplies and equipment, collect the used supplies and separate them by item. Once you’ve collected enough used supplies to fit onto a pallet, you are ready to ship.
2. Label each box with either “gloves” or “apparel and eyewear” depending on what is inside. Shrink wrap the pallets and label them with a tracking number to help Kimberly-Clark account for the amount of waste your company has diverted.
3. Now that the supplies are shipped, Kimberly-Clark and their partners will remove any zippers, cuffs, and other parts of the item that cannot be recycled.
4. Finally, the items are sent to the company’s domestic recycling partners to turn them into pellets. Now, these pellets can be turned into new products.

Here is a graphic explaining the RightCycle and the steps:

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Why are sustainable cleaning products beneficial for the earth?

Switching to more sustainable and environmentally friendly cleaning products can have positive effects on the people who use them, as well as on the planet. As Earth Day approaches, it can be important to think about switching brands or swapping out cleaning supplies for options with less toxic ingredients. Kimberly-Clark Professional has been working hard to increase their sustainability efforts within the brands and products that they carry in order to make a positive impact on the earth. Here are some other benefits that can come with using products with cleaner ingredients:

• They can be safer for everyday use: Some cleaning products have too many harsh chemicals to use every day, but ones with less chemicals can be okay to use more often.
• Sustainable cleaning products can lower health risks: Some cleaning products can contain VOCs, otherwise known as volatile organic compounds. VOCs can have a negative effect on some people and can cause respiratory illnesses and sometimes cancer. Switching your products to ones that have cleaner ingredients can be good for the health of your employees.
• They can improve the air quality: More sustainable products might not leave behind as many synthetic fragrances or strong aromas. Switching to different products can improve the indoor air quality which might impact the productivity and overall mood of your employees. When the air is cleaner and easier to breathe, people might become happier.

What brands does Kimberly-Clark Professional offers?

Under the Kimberly-Clark Professional umbrella, there are six brands which are:

• Cottonelle®
• Kimtech™
• Kleenex®
• Kleenguard
• Scott®
• WypAll®

All of these brands are home to many different types of products that have become more sustainable over time. Whether the company uses less energy to manufacture the products, packages them in recycled material, or plants additional trees to help make up for the ones that were taken down, Kimberly-Clark’s sustainability efforts have been making a positive impact on the planet.

Earth Day is all about finding ways to reduce your carbon footprint and do more for the environment. The Kimberly-Clark family of brands has been developing programs to save energy, recycle more, and become a zero-waste company by the year 2025. Investing in products that give back to the earth can be important to many companies and organizations.

Earth Day Celebrations at Work

Whether your company wants to start making changes to benefit the planet or some co-workers are getting together to make an impact, Kimberly-Clark Professional makes it easy to do so. Just by purchasing their products and using them at the office, you are being more sustainable. With all of their programs, especially the RightCycle Program, Kimberly-Clark has made it its mission to cut energy costs, recycle used products, and reduce its carbon footprint.

Celebrating Earth Day at work by making positive changes to impact our planet can be fun. There are always new ways to give back to Mother Earth and protect her resources for years to come.