Earth Day: How Saving the Planet Can Help You Save On Insurance

Earth Day is an unofficial holiday celebrated throughout the world every April in order to promote greater concern for the environment. By adjusting your behaviors to take better care of the planet, you could also put yourself in a position to save money on home insurance and qualify for car insurance discounts.

Keep reading for tips on how to celebrate Earth Day including some of the most basic steps you can take to improve the condition of the environment in your area.

Key Takeaways Every year, people celebrate Earth Day on April 22 as a way to raise awareness about environmental issues and honor the past successes of the modern environmental movement. There are numerous ways you can celebrate Earth Day including planting trees, attending organized Earth Day gatherings, taking steps to lower your carbon footprint and more. Insurance carriers like Lemonade offer discounted car insurance rates to drivers of electric and hybrid vehicles. If your home is eco-friendly enough to earn a LEED certification, you could qualify for homeowners insurance discounts through insurers like Travelers and Farmers.

When Is Earth Day?

Earth Day takes place on April 22 in the United States, although some countries celebrate it on the day of the spring equinox instead. Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson and Harvard University graduate student Denis Hayes created Earth Day in 1970.^[1]

The holiday is dedicated to raising awareness about environmental issues and promoting the existing accomplishments of the environmental movement. Some of the core issues that are commonly highlighted on Earth Day include climate change, conservation, renewable energy and waste reduction.^[1]

How Can I Celebrate Earth Day This Year?

If you want to put together an Earth Day celebration but aren’t sure how to go about it, consider planning activities such as these.

1. Plant a Tree

Planting trees in your backyard can lead to numerous benefits for you, your neighbors and your local ecosystem. For example, trees can provide habitats and food for wildlife like squirrels and birds, improve outdoor air quality, provide shade and limit stormwater runoff, which can mitigate flood damage and reduce erosion and waterway pollution.^[2]

2. Clean Up Around Your Neighborhood

Consider teaming up with friends and family members to pick up trash around your neighborhood or local park this Earth Day. Not only does this give you the opportunity to spend some time outdoors enjoying the spring weather but it also reduces litter and makes your city more aesthetically pleasing.

3. Recycle

Remember to put recyclable materials like paper, cardboard, plastic bags and bottles, unbroken glass and aluminum cans and foil in your recycling bin. Batteries, electronics, metal and some potentially hazardous materials like paint can also be recycled, although you may need to contact your local recycling facility to verify the best way to dispose of these products after you are done with them. In addition, you may want to consider composting leftover food and lawn clippings.^[3]

4. Conserve Water

Another way to live a more eco-friendly lifestyle is to conserve water. You can practice conserving water on Earth Day by taking various steps such as the following:^[4]

• Fixing leaks as soon as possible
• Installing high-efficiency toilets, faucets and showerheads
• Taking quicker showers
• Turning the sink off while you brush your teeth
• Only running your dishwasher or washing machine when you have a full load
• Allowing rain to naturally water your plants whenever possible
• Cleaning outdoor spaces like driveways and sidewalks with a broom rather than a hose
• Watering your plants earlier in the day when it is cooler outside

5. Avoid Using Pesticides and Chemicals in Your Garden

You should consider moderating your chemical use when gardening and may want to forgo chemicals altogether depending on your circumstances. While herbicides, pesticides and other chemicals can help you rid your garden of weeds and other pests, there are various environmental and health concerns to be aware of.

For example, chemical use could contribute to the pollution of local water supplies, cause wild animals or even your own pets to get sick and potentially damage your soil and plants if you don’t use the chemicals correctly.

6. Donate to an Environmental Nonprofit or Organization

If you are unsure of the best ways to help preserve the environment yourself, then you may want to consider donating money to charities and other nonprofit organizations that already have experience doing work to benefit the environment. Be sure to research organizations so you can see whether they match your values and how they are making an impact at the local, regional, national or global level.

7. Buy Produce Locally

You can also reduce your impact on the environment by opting to shop for fresh produce from local farmers’ markets. Food that is sold close to where it is grown may have a lower carbon footprint since less fuel is used in the process of transporting it.^[5] In addition, it may be cheaper for you to buy fruits and vegetables directly from local farmers rather than retailers that generally have to mark up the prices in order to make a profit.

8. Ride Your Bike

Riding your bike can lower your carbon footprint because spending less time driving means emitting fewer greenhouse gasses. If you don’t own a bike, you can still limit the amount you drive through other methods like carpooling or taking public transportation.

9. Consider an Electric or Hybrid Vehicle

Similarly, electric vehicles (EVs) can lower your carbon footprint since they don’t have tailpipe emissions at all, while hybrid vehicles typically emit fewer gasses than gasoline-powered cars. As an added bonus, some insurers like Lemonade offer auto insurance discounts to drivers who own EVs or hybrids.^[6][7]

Even when accounting for greenhouse gasses emitted in the process of generating electricity and manufacturing car batteries, EVs are still generally better for the environment than gas-powered vehicles.^[8] This is especially true if you live in a region where electricity is generated using renewable resources.

10. Go to an Earth Day Event

Depending on where you live, you may be able to find professionally organized Earth Day events near you such as festivals, parades, peaceful demonstrations and large-scale cleanup projects. Several cities host special events on Earth Day and, in many cases, there may be activities specifically designed to entertain and teach your children.

11. Install Green Appliances

Finally, if you’re in need of new appliances, consider shopping for washing machines, refrigerators, stoves and other appliances that have an ENERGY STAR label indicating that they require less electricity than typical appliances and are therefore more energy efficient.^[9]

Installing green appliances could help you work toward earning a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification, which recognizes that your home meets strict standards regarding how it handles carbon, energy, water, transportation, waste, materials, health and indoor environmental quality.^[10] If your home is LEED certified, you may be eligible for homeowners insurance discounts from home insurance companies like Travelers and Farmers.^[11][12]