Earth Day is a holiday recognized annually on April 22nd. Its purpose is to educate individuals on the environmental issues affecting our planet and promote practices which can help you better the world around you.
If it wasn’t obvious enough from our logo and office décor’s color scheme, vybe urgent care is big on staying green. We are committed to a green lifestyle. For example: Motion sensor lights can be found throughout all of our clinics, which conserve electricity in rooms not in use. We also use paperless registration via iPads.
Doing these things isn’t just good for Mother Earth – but it’s been found that going green can actually improve your mental health as well. So you can bet that we’re celebrating Earth Day with a blog all about what you can do, both locally and on a broader scale, to practice a lifestyle that’s just a little bit greener and helping the earth sustain a big ol’ #healthyvybe.
Unplug to Save
We often don’t realize it, but when a phone charger, laptop charger or lamp is plugged into an outlet and not actively being used it is STILL using up energy. In fact, up to 10% of the energy used in our homes each day is from appliances and electronics that aren’t being utilized but remain plugged into the wall. While it may feel tedious to do so, unplugging items when they’re not being used can save you 5-10 percent on your energy bill and helps the planet by conserving energy output.
Reuse Whenever Possible
One of the most troubling issues directly impacting our environment is plastic pollution. It is estimated that by 2050, our oceans will carry more plastic than fish by weight. To help reduce the magnitude of plastic pollution, you can make small changes every day such as investing in a reusable water bottle and reusable shopping bags — it is also extremely important to recycle rather than throwing plastic in the trash!
Philacycle
If you like added incentives and rewards for doing good (and live in Philadelphia), join Philacycle. You earn points while learning numerous valuable lessons about recycling, including whether metal cans should be cleaned before being recycled and what the heck “biodegradable” really means. You can earn rewards ranging from free magazine subscriptions to discounts at your favorite stores based on the amount of points you collect while you learn — it’s a win/win!
Make the Switch to Renewable Energy
Take part in PA Power Switch and make the shift over to renewable energy. Switching to renewable energy is one major way to go green and cuts down our dependence on fossil fuels, which can reduce the rate of our planet’s climate change.
Get Involved!
If you’re interested in hands-on experiences that will directly help to better the planet, you’ve luckily got plenty of options right here in Philadelphia. Come to Lardner’s Point Park on Saturday, April 21 from 10am to 4pm for the Riverfront North Earth Day Festival to participate in an outdoor cleanup, free yoga class, and learn more about lifestyle changes you can make to better the planet. Another option is working with or shopping at United by Blue, a Philadelphia-based company which regularly hosts water cleanups in the area that you can take part in. Additionally, the company sells sustainably-made merchandise and makes a promise to remove one pound of trash from our waterways for every product sold.
Kermit was wrong, it’s actually quite easy being green!
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