4/5/2024 | Angela Whitlock, CSRA
Did you know that in 1990, Earth Day officially became celebrated around the globe? This marked the beginning of Earth Month. Earth Month is celebrated every April and has grown in popularity throughout the years. In 2009, the United Nations designed April 22nd as International Mother Earth Day.
According to EarthDay.org, this year’s theme for Earth Month is Planet vs. Plastics.
In keeping with both the mission of the Champaign County Forest Preserve District and the 2024 theme for Earth Month, the Museum Store is proud to bring awareness to our selection of sustainable and eco-friendly products.
The collection of “green” products in our store provides alternatives to disposables (which are often made of plastic) and points to ways that we can reduce our carbon footprint and environmental toxic damage caused by pollutants.
Green products are sustainable products that are designed to minimize their environmental impacts during their entire life-cycle, even after they are no longer in use. They are manufactured using toxic-free ingredients and environmentally-friendly procedures. Green products are identified through the achievement of two basic goals: reducing waste and maximizing resource efficiency.
The Museum Store continues striving to offer a selection of green products, as well as those that are ethically sourced, hand crafted, biodegradable, sustainable, and eco-friendly. Some of these items include: ethically-sourced looseleaf tea by Wild Coast Brew; pencil highlighters, plantable cards and notebooks, and cork pens by Ecolif3; foldable shopping bags by Wood’d; soap trays, reusable bags, and dish sponges by Zero Waste MVMT; reusable dishcloths by Ink and Fiber Designs; zero-waste razors in a variety of colors (extra razor blade and blade tins sold separately), beard combs, and cutlery sets by Jungle Culture; and soap concentrates, lotions, scrubs, lip balms, and bug repellent by Good Earth Soap.
To learn more about what these different words all mean, stop by the Museum Store and ask for our Reduce and Reuse pamphlet, or pick one up in the store’s sustainability section.
Source: EarthDay.org