If there’s one day of the year you can legitimately encourage friends and colleagues to do something for the environment, Earth Day on 22nd April is it.

This Earth Day Do Action Plan has a wide range of sustainable actions. So whether you’ve new to climate action or could give David Attenborough a run for his money, read on.

Where to start.

There are at least 60 things we can do to reduce our carbon footprint and protect our future. Here are four of the most impactful:

✈️ Stay grounded: Travel by land more

🍔 Veg out: Fill your plate with more veg, less meat

🪣 Eat up: Save (lots of!) money by reducing food waste

🔥 Insulate your home: Keep energy and money in, and cold out.

Not sure why these 4 things matter? This short article explains why.

Why do something this Earth Day? 

80% of the UK population is worried about climate change. When fires tear through buildings like they’re made of paper and floods sweep away villages, it’s scary. And that’s just Europe.

Doing something about it helps reduce feelings of anxiety. In fact 2/3rd of pledgers on Do Nation report increased feelings of wellbeing after completing a pledge.

The truth is that we all have power to make a difference.

And yes, all businesses and governments need to act faster, but each of us can do something. We’re at a point now where everyone with the means needs to do muck in.

So whether it’s eating more plant or swapping a plane journey for a train journey, our daily actions help create a more positive future for everyone.

Choose your Earth Day Actions

We all come to sustainability with varying amounts of knowledge and motivation. Which is why Do Nation publishes monthly Do Action plans.

How to use your Earth Day Action Plan:

1. Choose your level; new to this, doing this, done this
2. Pick the tips you’re going to try
3. Pledge ✈️ , 🍔, 🪣, 🔥 or a combo for 2 months.

New to this? Easy peasy actions

Choose these low hanging eco-fruits, even if just to get everyone off your back about climate stuff:

✈️  Try one trip by train.

• These great mini break suggestions come with travel tips and timings.
• Skip the faff of boarder control and visit the UK’s top 10 beaches

Pledge slow travel with Get Grounded >

🍔  See how eating a little less meat can help.

• Watch this video on why reducing – not removing – meat can help you and the planet. 
• Pick a low impact ingredient from this chart and make one of these vegetarian recipes.

Pledge to eat more plants with Veg Out >

🪣 Understand your food waste.

• Week 1: Keep a record of the food you throw away for a week.
• Week 2: Either avoid buying the food you don’t eat, or try to use it up.
• Try these recipe ideas for the UK’s top 5 wasted foods; bread, milk, potatoes, cheese, apples.
• Follow these steps for keeping your fridge cooler and your food fresher.

Pledge to Eat Up >

🔥 Do one small thing to insulate your home.

• Follow this tip on how to use a candle to see where draughts are coming in.
• Put a rolled up towel or draught excluder down by external doors.
• Follow this cute, easy video tutorial for making draught excluders out of a pair of socks.

Pledge to Draught Busters >

Doing this? Level up with some stretch targets

✈️  Try most trips by land.

Ready to graduate from Eurostars for grown up weekends away and embrace slow travel for longer trips and family holidays?

• Commit to flying once every three years, max.
• Create a wish list of far flung adventures by train.
• Follow these tips for train travel with kids.

Pledge slow travel with Get Grounded >

🍔  Source better meat, as a treat.

If meat is still on your menu, source the most sustainable option.

• Learn (more) about sustainable meat farming with the Sustainable Food Trust.
• Watch this video on how to source better meat from the author of Less Meat, More Veg.

Pledge to eat more plants with Veg Out >

🪣 Boss cooking and using up left overs.

Become a whizz at portioning and get creative with scraps.

• Half a mug of uncooked rice is enough for 2 adults.
• Use a 1p or £1 coin to measure a single serving of uncooked spaghetti.
• Or use Love Food Hate Waste’s interactive portion planner.
• Get tips from Sophie Whitbread when she eliminated food waste altogether.

Pledge to Eat Up >

🔥 Level up your home insulation.

Already excluded draughts?

• Find out about insulating your walls
• Lag your loft

Pledge to lag your loft >

Done this? Take it one step further

✈️  Introduce others to slow travel.

Forgone air travel for the foreseeable?

• Ask your employer to implement extra holiday allowance for slow travel (1 day for each 8+ hour journey, with a cap of X days per year).
• Work with the travel industry and influence change from within.
• Organise a group holiday and show your friends and family the joys of slow travel.

Pledge to share knowledge and influence with Voice up >

🍔  Help your community wise up to sustainable meat.

• Ask your workplace to introduce a sustainable food policy.
• Ask local cafes, restaurants, schools and care settings to source better meat and have more veggie options.

Pledge to share knowledge and influence with Voice up >

🪣 Become a composting Jedi.

Got a handle on your food waste? Time to get composty. If you don’t have curb-side collection, or you grow plants, make compost with some or all of your food scraps.

• Use a bokashi bin, this video explains all
• Or a hot bin
• Or gain 80,000 pets into your life in one fell swoop with a wormery

Pledge to compost more with Feed the Earth >

🔥 Bring out the big home energy hitters.

• Get a heat source pump.
• Install solar thermal water heating.
• Install solar panels.
• Make (or pass on) draught excluders to friends and family, or local housing charities.

Choose one of our many home energy pledges >

Other ideas for Earth Day

Browse our list of 60+ Do Actions for more Earth Day friendly activities to suit you.

Happy doing!