Most people love their birthdays. With all the fun and celebrations, showered with gifts and special attention it comes with. Well, if there ever was such a day for Mother Earth, April 22nd would probably be it. Earth Day as we call it is all about this planet of ours. That isn’t to say that every day shouldn’t be a special day when we celebrate and appreciate all she’s giving us. However, on this particular day, participants are trying to raise awareness about the impact humans have on the environment in an attempt to spark change and actions towards a more sustainable future.
From a hippie movement to a united global event
What started as a modern environmental movement stemming from the rebellious, outspoken spirit of the ‘60s has become a global event. It is celebrated by over 1 billion people around the world. The first ever Earth Day was organised in 1970 when 20 million Americans held nationwide protests on the streets, to challenge environmental ignorance and inspire change in the way we live our lives for the sake of the globe and future generations.
Some might do their part by recycling, turning lights off when not needed, or carpooling. As we all know, every little helps and contributes to a much bigger picture. But when it comes to gift-giving, we often forget to be more conscious, especially around the holidays.
Have you ever got a present you don’t particularly like? Or that you’ve never actually used? Collecting dust in the cupboard or worse…thrown into the bin soon after? Yep, I’m pretty sure we’ve all been there. Just as we’ve all been guilty of buying something just for the sake of having a gift to give…Without much of a second thought about whether the recipient would find it meaningful or would actually use it.
How we make our books environmentally friendly
We, at The Book of Everyone, are all about unique personalised gifts that people can cherish for a long time. But we also strive to create our wonderfully curious presents while minimising our impact on the planet and lowering our carbon footprint. Our printing partners, PurePrint and HP have practices in place that ensure our books are of high quality while being environmentally friendly.
I know what you’re thinking. They’re books and you cut down trees to make them after all. So how can you be environmentally friendly? Well great question, let us answer that. It all comes down to the processes implemented in the production of the paper and the ink, of course.
Our friends at Pureprint have an environmental management system implemented in order to minimise the impact at their production facilities. Another cool thing is that they don’t use non-recyclable materials in their manufacturing process. Thanks to dynamic allocations they are able to cut down on energy, waste, transport, and materials. With their help, we could choose the most sustainable papers for our personalised books. They all have Carbon Balanced Paper. Yes, you read that right.
Your fun fact of the day: What is Carbon Balanced Paper?
Together with the World Land Trust (an international conservation charity whose patrons include the one and only Sir David Attenborough) they achieve this through “the preservation of ecologically important standing forests, under real and imminent threat of clearance, locking in carbon that would otherwise be released and securing continued absorption of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.’’ They said it so well, I thought I’d quote them. This means that the paper used to make every single book of ours helps combat global warming which fills us with great pride.
With regard to printing, we have carefully selected HP Indigo digital press to bring our beautiful designs to life on paper in the most sustainable way possible. By on-demand digital printing, we significantly reduce scrap and by printing locally we can lower our carbon footprint and our non-renewable energy consumption. Another excellent perk, I’m sure you’d all agree, is that this also leads to decreased shipping costs.
So what can we do to celebrate Earth Day 2022?
How about going car-free? Walk, bike, or take the bus to work/school. Not only it is good for the environment, but your body and health will also thank you for it. You could also create a nice family activity and plant something. Flowers, plants, seeds…spring is the perfect time for some gardening. If you are ready for a bit more commitment then buying reusable water bottles/coffee cups and reducing your meat and dairy consumption might be some things you could consider.
Sustainable gifts for the environmentally conscious
And when it comes to sustainable gift ideas, firstly evaluate if it is something they would really like or use. Try to find brands that are clear about their sustainability efforts and values. However, gifts don’t always have to be just tangible. Gift your time by doing something special together; cook a meal, play a game, take a walk or go to the cinema. Find something you both enjoy.
If you do want a memorable yet eco-friendly present for someone special in your life, take a peek at our personalised books and surprise a loved one with an environmentally friendly gift. Whether it is for your Mum, partner, or a friend with a milestone birthday, they’ll have a unique custom book celebrating their life that was also made in the most sustainable way possible. So we can all take small steps to preserve our planet for future generations.
Let us know how you are celebrating Earth Day in 2022 in the comments below!
