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Fireworks Should Leave Memories, Not Trash

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UPDATE: Cleanup Opportunity at Mock Park on July 5.

It is not uncommon to find streets and beaches littered with the remnants of fireworks after the holiday. Pieces of plastic, paper, and cardboard that are not properly disposed of, can easily make their way to the beaches and the ocean to become marine debris.

There are a number of activities we can all partake in to keep our beaches free of firework debris. Here are just a few:

  • If you launch it, pick it up. Cleaning up after ourselves and ensuring we properly dispose of our own fireworks trash is the very first step in addressing this issue.
  • Join in on a post-Fourth of July cleanup. Check with your local communities to find out how they take care of post-holiday cleanup and how you can be involved.
  • Spread the word. As the holiday approaches, talk to your friends and neighbors about the potential for firework debris to turn into marine debris.
  • Celebrate safely. Visit the Consumer Product Safety Commission website to learn how to properly and safely handle and dispose of used fireworks. More on Firework safety.

By celebrating the Fourth of July and enjoying fireworks responsibly, we can honor our country through protecting our beloved coastal environments, and the marine animals who rely on these habitats.

Also see:

Central Ohio – Disposing Hazardous Waste

Keep Hilliard Beautiful

Keep Columbus Beautiful

Delaware County Litter Prevention

Keep Ohio Beautiful

Steps toward Sustainable Travel

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Live Healthy Live Well blog shares ideas on how to take steps toward sustainable travel this summer.

Regardless of where travelers head to, tourists effect the people, economy, and environment they travel to. When crossing any national, ethnic, cultural, or state border it is important to consider what impact travel can have on both parties. One way to ensure each party has as little negative impact on each other as possible is to travel more sustainably.

The United Nations World Tourism Organization defines sustainable tourism development as travel that compares the negative to the positive social, cultural, environmental, and economic impacts of the travel in the host nation.

Here are some first steps you can take:

  • Check your travel options. Check for airlines that offset their carbon dioxide emissions. Beware of greenwashing campaigns.
  • Select a sustainable destination. From international travel guides and news outlets, many sources have done the research regarding some of the most sustainable destinations.  Cities across the globe are focusing on reducing waste, zeroing their carbon footprint, or building more sustainable infrastructure.
  • Look for alternative modes of transportation. Plan ahead. visit attractions within walking distance to your hotel/lodging. Check for cycle rentals at your destination. Try renting a hybrid or electric vehicle, instead of a gas powered one. Look into utilizing public transport or checking on train travel instead of flying.
  • Educate yourself. Learning about social issues, cultural differences, and current events allows the traveler to be aware of spots to visit and locations to avoid. Keep researching sustainable options.

More information can be found at: 10 Methods Of Transportation, Ranked From The Least To The Most Eco-Friendly and Sustainable Transportation and Fuels.

Read the full article on LiveHealthyOSU.edu here.

Donate Plastics and Make a Bench!

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Throughout June, Chadwick Arboretum is partnering with the Green Team Employee Resource Group at OSU to create a locally-made bench from recycled plastics! This bench will be placed at Earth Day Park near the Medical Center Campus.

If you would like to contribute to the construction of the bench, sort through your plastic pots, trays, and other hard-to-recycle items to find ONLY #6 plastics; clean them, and drop them off ANYTIME to the barn compound behind the 4-H Center.

*Note: There will be a horticulture plastics recycling event in July, so save your other pots for later!

What: #6 Plastic Recycling Drop Off

When: June 1-30, 2024, anytime

Where: Chadwick Arboretum Hoop House

2201 Fred Taylor Drive (behind the 4-H center)

*signage should be posted at this location soon to help direct you to the gaylord boxes where the plastic can be donated.

Join the Green Team and FOD for a Litter Pick-up and Walk

| Susannah Kistler

May 21: Litter Pick-Up While Walking or Jogging

Join Ohio State Facilities Operations and Development (FOD) Landscape Services team on May 21 for some campus “plogging” fun to pick up litter while walking, jogging or running. Time slots are available from 11 a.m. to noon and noon to 1 p.m. Share your #BuckeyeLove for the environment while enjoying the benefits of physical activity and spending time outdoors.

Register online and meet at Meiling Hall on May 21 to pick up supplies.

Earth Day Park Grand Opening

| Susannah Kistler

A bee visits pink flowers

Celebrate World Bee Day and the Earth Day Park Grand Opening with Ohio State’s Green Team Employee Resource Group, featuring our new bench made from recycled materials from The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center! We’ll also recognize Claire Bollinger, PhD, recipient of the “2024 Woman of the Year” Green Team ERG award in recognition of her outstanding commitment to education and excellence in sustainability.

When: 9 a.m. May 20
Where: Earth Day Park (348 West 8th Ave. behind the 9th Avenue Parking Garage)

To build the bench, the Green Team collected #6 plastics (Solo cups, CD cases, clear plastic drinking cups) from some Ohio State staff and worked with Marble Plastics to rework and build the bench from those materials. Each bench requires about 150 pounds of #6 plastics. There are plans for future benches to be added to the park, but the cost of this initial bench is covered by an Ohio State Energy Partners Wexner Medical Center Sustainability grant.

#6 plastics aren’t typically recyclable through conventional recycling programs. If you’re looking for another way to recycle these plastics, you can check out the Hefty ReNew program, which has partnered with Rumpke Waste & Recycling in central Ohio.

EPN Earth Day event: ‘Eat This Earth Day! Ohio’s Native Plants for Food’

| Susannah Kistler

Eat this Earth Day! Ohio's Native Plants for Food

The Ohio State University’s Environmental Professionals Network is holding an event from 4:45 to 7:30 p.m. on Monday, April 22, examining “our place among Ohio’s native food web and explores the work of leading gardeners, educators, herbalists and foragers, amateurs and other groups stewarding native plants for food.”

Learn more about the free event, available in-person but also livestreamed, at epn.osu.edu.

Earth Day Film Festival!

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Celebrate Earth Day with The Environmental History Initiative on April 18 at 7:00 PM. Taking place in University Hall, this film is a contribution from Ohio State’s Environmental History Initiative to the broader campus-wide Earth Day celebration. It is free and open to the public.

A meditation on the complex history and future of the coal industry, the communities it has shaped, and the myths it has created. A spectacularly beautiful and deeply moving immersion into Central Appalachia where coal is not just a resource, but a way of life.

The film will be followed by a Q&A.
Learn more here.

Recycle Right with SWACO

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April is Earth Month, and to help you celebrate Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio (SWACO) curated an impressive lineup of educational webinars and home recycling tips to help you go green and stay green all year long.

Don’t Waste This Earth Day – Commit to Recycling More! April 22nd at 12:30 p.m.  Webinar.

Take the guess out of recycling and start recycling with confidence! SWACO is here to provide you with answers. Whether it’s about hard-to-recycle items such as appliances or Styrofoam, we’ll help you determine the best method for reusing or recycling. Register!

Recycle Right at Home with these Tips

  • Packaging is Key – Purchase products with minimal or recyclable packaging to reduce the amount of material sent to the landfill.  
  • How Clean Should They Be? Don’t obsess over how clean your recyclables are. The main goal is to make sure they’re empty and give them a quick rinse if needed.
  • Go Paperless – Opt for an e-receipt when at the store and consider digital subscriptions for your favorite magazines.  
  • Size Matters – Items such as bottle and jug caps and metal can tabs are too small to be recycled alone. Either leave them on bottles and cans and recycle them together or discard individual caps and tabs in the trash.  
  • Recycle Solar Eclipse Glasses – Drop off your gently used eclipse glasses at one of these participating locations and help make the future brighter and safer for young stargazers.   

https://recycleright.org/

Celebrate Earth Day with your Community

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The Green Team ERG understands that you can’t make all of the events that OSU and the medical center have to offer, but you can still make an impact in your community. Many of these events are also kid-friendly and a great way to begin instilling a love and appreciation for the Earth in growing minds.

  • What: Columbus Zoo Earth Day Celebration and recycling drives
  • When: Earth Day Celebration: April 20-21, 2024, from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
  • Earth Week Donation Drives at the Zoo: April 22 – 26
  • Where: Columbus Zoo; 4850 W Powell Rd, Powell, OH 43065
  • More information: Earth Day with the Zoo; Learn about little things that you can do in your daily life that will add up to make a big difference for all living creatures. There will be lots of Earth Day activities focusing on conservation, including games, crafts, Animal Enrichment, Character Ambassadors and Meet & Greets, and more! Watch the animals receive special Earth Day treats and enrichment throughout the day.
    • Battery Donation Drive: April 22
    • Handheld electronics donation drive: April 23
    • Styrofoam Recycling Drive: April 24
    • Electronics Drive: April 25
    • Item Donation Drive: April 26

  • What: Grove City EcoFest
  • When: Saturday, April 20 | 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
  • Where: 3359 Park St., Grove City Town Center
  • More information:  Discover Grove City; All ages learn about sustainability, spring Farmers’ Market and eco-friendly practices through hands-on activities, crafts, vendors, games and more.

  • What: Earth Gathering (24th-annual festival)
  • When: Sat, Apr 20, 2024  11:00 AM   – 6:00 PM
  • Where: 1 Enderlin Circle (Yoctangee Park), Chillicothe, OH 45601
  • More information:  Earth Gathering; Earth Gathering is a juried-invitational art festival with an Earth Day theme designed to enlighten, entertain, and inspire the public with Earth-friendly art, music, food, products, and ideas. Inclement weather date is the following day (Sunday April 21). EG is a family friendly event with art activities for children.

  • What: Seeds of Caring’s Kids as Planet Protectors: An Earth Day Celebration
  • When: Saturday, April 20 10:00 AM  2:00 PM
  • Where: Grange Insurance Audubon Center; 505 W Whittier St, Columbus, OH 43215
  • More information: Seeds of Caring; Join Seeds of Caring for this FREE Earth Day celebration where kids ages 2-12 can participate in environmental activity stations such as nitrogen demos with COSI Science Live, worms and composting with Franklin Park Conservatory, and bee-keeping with Ohio Queen Bee! This is a rain or shine event in partnership with Grange Insurance Audubon Center and Presenting Sponsor Amazon Web Services. Registration is free but required.  Come learn how to be kind to the earth and plant a tree (we’ll have 250 of them)!

  • What: Bexley’s Earth and Arbor Days
  • When: Sat, Apr 20, 2024; 10:00 AM (Eastern)
  • Where: Schneider Park, 2130 Astor Ave, Columbus, OH 43209, USA
  • More information: Sierra Club Ohio; City of Bexley’s Sustainability Department, Green Bexley, and the Bexley Tree & Public Gardens Commission, you’re formally invited to participate in our 2024 Earth and Arbor Days Celebration, a community event for vendors to educate and inspire attendees with actionable items for protecting the planet and planting more trees!

  • What: Wetland Earth Day Planting @ Shepherd’s Corner
  • When: April 20 @ 9:00 am – 3:30 pm
  • Where: Shepherd’s Corner Ecology Center; 987 Waggoner Road, Blacklick, OH 43004
  • More information: Wetland Earth Day Planting; Dig holes and help plant 250 native trees and bushes!

City of Columbus Recreation and Parks Featured Earth Day Conservation Events

  • What: OCNA Earth Day Event!
  • When: April 24th from 12-1PM
  • Where: Outpatient care New Albany, Meet near West Staff Entrance (to the side of the Medical Office Building)
  • More information: OCNA Earth Day Event! Please join Surgical Specialties for a lunchtime walk around our OCNA paths to tidy up our work community & refresh yourself. Known as “Plogging”: Swedish term for the simple act of picking up litter while you run, hike, or walk in your community.

  • What: City Nature Challenge: Columbus
  • When: April 26 – 29, 2024
  • Where: varied
  • More information: Earth Day Columbus; Join Green Columbus and other organizations across Central Ohio to document the vast plants, fungi and animals that we have. Let’s appreciate the biodiversity of these vast waterways, forests, and micro-habitats within Columbus, Ohio.

  • What: Arbor Day at Dawes Arboretum: Festival and Spring Plant Sale
  • When: April 27 @ 10:00 am – 2:00 pm
  • Where: Franklin County Fairgrounds, Gate 5
  • More information: Dawes Arboretum; Admission is free all day thanks to our presenting sponsor Park National Bank! Help us celebrate all things trees with hands-on activities, a tree giveaway (while supplies last), tree climbing, music and more! Food trucks will be on site, and the spring plant sale will feature Ohio native plants.

  • What: 3rd Annual Earth Day Celebration!
  • When: Saturday, April 27 | 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
  • Where: Lynd Fruit Farm, 9399 Morse Rd, Pataskala Ohio 43062
  • More information:  Monarch Meadows; This is a non-ticketed event. Everyone is welcome! We will have food trucks, Birds of Prey, kids crafts, live music, raspberry plants, apple trees, and of course NATIVE PLANTS!

  • What: Genoa Park Earth Day Celebration
  • When: Saturday, April 27, 11am-8pm
  • Where: Genoa Park 303 W Broad St, Columbus, OH 43215
  • More information: Earth Day Columbus; This family-friendly event will feature local music, fun activities for children and adults, food, and drinks, and booths from a diverse array of sustainability-focused vendors and nonprofits.

Volunteer at Columbus Mobile Produce Markets

  • What you’ll do: Interact and support the community as we distribute fresh produce to our neighbors. Help prep and pack produce in reusable grocery bags.
  • Available shifts: Thursdays and Fridays, 1:30 p.m.

Recycle Your Used Eclipse Glasses

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The Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio (SWACO) and partners including the city of Columbus, Columbus and Franklin County Metro Parks, and the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium are partnering to collect these used but undamaged eclipse glasses for reuse. Through a partnership with Solar Eclipse USA the glasses collected from central Ohio will be sent to schools in Latin America and distributed to school-aged children so they can view the October 2024 Annular Eclipse. You can make a difference.

Drop off your gently used solar eclipse glasses at one of the following locations before April 30, 2024 and help make the future brighter and safer for young stargazers. Collection locations include:

SWACO Recycling Convenience Center, 2566 Jackson Pike, Columbus
Columbus Waste & Reuse Center, 2100 Alum Creek, Columbus
Participating Columbus & Franklin County Metro Parks at: 

  • Battelle Darby Creek, 1775 Darby Creek Drive, Galloway
  • Blacklick Woods, 6975 E. Livingston Avenue, Reynoldsburg
  • Blendon Woods, 4265 E. Dublin Granville Road, Columbus
  • Glacier Ridge, 9801 Hyland-Cory, Plain City
  • Highbanks, 9466 Columbus Pike, Lewis Center
  • Homestead, 4675 Cosgray Rd., Hilliard
  • Prairie Oaks, 3225 NW Plain City – Georgesville Rd., West Jefferson
  • Sharon Woods, 6911 Cleveland Ave., Westerville

 Together, we can make a difference for central Ohio’s environment and the lives of children around the world.

Spread the word!!

SWACO.org