Mark Your Calendars Now! April 22nd is Earth Day.

Now’s the time to start planning how your organization is going to honor this international event.

In the past 50 years, Earth Day has evolved into a time for individuals and communities to come together and reflect on how we can collectively create a cleaner, greener, and healthier world. In recent years, businesses of all sizes have embraced Earth Day, using it as a platform to showcase their environmental values and initiatives.

But Earth Day Isn't Just for the Big Guys and Gals.

Even smaller companies, including cleaning contractors and janitorial distributors, can participate and make a difference. It's a fantastic opportunity to highlight our industry and your company's commitment to sustainability. It's also a chance to raise your profile in your community and attract new customers.

Before exploring these options, however, let’s briefly discuss the history of Earth Day and how it came about.

For centuries, in countries all over the world, people assumed the world’s vast resources were limitless. As soon as one area had been grazed or forested, for instance, another was found right over the horizon.  

During the late 1800s, people in industrialized countries believed that air and water pollution was a necessary consequence of progress.

Even when chemical waste caused rivers to catch on fire, there was hardly any public outcry. However, this perspective shifted during the 1960s thanks to two significant events.  

In 1962, Rachel Carson published a book called Silent Spring. The book became famous and served as a global wake-up call because it discussed a potential future where birds could become extinct. This was due to the long-term effects of highly toxic chemicals and pesticides that were being used in industry and agriculture all over the world.  

The second event was less jarring but equally impactful. It was when the Apollo astronauts captured the first-ever photographs of our planet. These pictures made people around the world realize how small, delicate, interconnected, and magnificent our planet is.

It became apparent how pollution, whether in the form of air, water, or chemicals, could have a detrimental impact on the environment not only in one particular area but also in the surrounding regions, near and far. 

Environmental awareness started to increase, and in the spring of 1970, the first environmental "teach-in" was held in cities and universities across the United States. This was the first Earth Day.

The aim was to draw attention to how human actions were harming the Earth. Although the popularity of Earth Day varied over time, it gained momentum in the mid-1990s and became an international event, spreading to cities and countries all around the world.  

The Reasons Why Earth Day Made a Comeback is Relatively Straightforward.

In the 1970s, there was minimal concern regarding the environmental impact of human beings. However, two decades later, it became apparent that the Earth's natural resources required more protection, and the effect of people on the environment, whether through cars, chemicals, or industrial pollution, could have long-lasting and potentially catastrophic consequences if we are not careful.

Conducting Your Earth Day Teach-In

How can you get involved? Suppose you are participating in an Earth Day event in your community. In that case, the following are tips and suggestions cleaning professionals can use to honor this special day and make it an influential customer event:  

·     Think outside the box. Start now to plan your Earth Day 2024 event and let's think outside the box this year. Creativity will go a long way in honoring the event and promoting your organization.  

·     Organize your helpers. Determine who and how many people can work a table or represent your company for an Earth Day event.  

·     Make a booth. A fancy booth is not necessary. In fact, the simpler the booth, the more impact it may have. It tells visitors you are not wasteful and earnestly want to protect natural resources.  

·     Select cleaning solutions to display. If a cleaning contractor or distributor, select Green-certified cleaning solutions. Provide simple, easy-to-understand information about these products, and be sure to discuss the certification process. Many people are not aware of how a cleaning solution becomes green-certified. 

·     Select equipment to display. When people think about cleaning, the tool they most often think of is vacuum cleaners. Show how new vacuum cleaners are designed to help protect health and indoor air quality.  

·     Showcase green paper products. Millions of trees are harvested annually around the globe to make paper products. Using recycled paper products can help protect these trees - and the air we breathe. Display traditional vs. recycled paper products to show how far technology has advanced. In most cases, the quality of the recycled paper products is so good that users cannot tell the difference. 

Finally, remember to contact your customers and potential customers and invite them to your booth.

There is nothing wrong with using Earth Day as a marketing opportunity, as long as you remember the day's purpose: a global celebration of the Earth and a commitment to protecting the planet we call home.  

To learn about events taking place near you, visit www.earthday.ca.

Steve Ashkin is president of the Ashkin Group, a consulting firm specializing in Green Cleaning and sustainability. Steve is recognized as one of the one hundred most important contributors to the professional cleaning industry in ISSA’s 100-year history.

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