Today marks the 46th anniversary of Earth Day, the annual holiday celebrated worldwide that aims to draw attention to and demonstrate support for environmental protection. Originally celebrated on April 22, 1970 in the United States, it is now celebrated by people in more than 193 countries!
Trees for the Earth
As Earth Day approaches their 50th anniversary, the campaigns major goal is to plan 7.6 billion trees – one for each person on earth – by 2020. According to EarthDay.org, trees help to:
- Mitigate climate change and pollution by absorbing excess CO2 and other pollutants that are harmful to the atmosphere. Trees are nature’s air filters!
- Protect biodiversity and counteract the loss of species by planting the right kinds of trees in the right environments.
- Support communities and their livelihoods: studies show that trees help communities “achieve long-term economic and environmental sustainability, and provide food, energy and income.” Even more, studies show that students who attend schools with tree cover have lower rates of asthma, lung disease, and ADHD.
Earth Day, Every Day
At Lifeway, we like to think that every day can be Earth Day in some way, and we celebrate that belief through our green business practices and dedication to environmental sustainability. In fact, as part of the Lifeway Mission, we’re dedicated to four ideals: using only all-natural, hormone- and GMO-free ingredients, global philanthropy, environmental responsibility, and local farming sustainability.
Farming
As part of our Farmer Pledge, we’re committed to only using milk that comes from grass fed cows that have not been treated with any artificial hormones. No rBGH. No rBST. No rB anything. And no antibiotics, either. We also encourage all of the farmers and cooperatives who supply us with milk to support efforts that promote the enhanced welfare of cattle.
Living Green
All of our bottles are 100 percent recyclable and BPA-free. Our ProBugs Pouches are also BPA-free. Since ProBugs Pouches cannot be recycled conventionally, TerraCycle boxes are an easy and accessible option. TerraCycle is a unique company that “eliminates the Idea of Waste® by recycling the “non-recyclable.” You can learn more about them here.
Additionally, we also use biodegradable plastics whenever possible, from serve-ware such as cups, spoons, straws, and napkins, which are made from 100 percent recycled, unbleached paper.
Renewable Energy
While we make every effort to make the smallest environmental impact possible, we know that there is always more we can do. Because of that, we purchase renewable energy credits to offset 100 percent of the electricity used to produce our products. This landmark effort will enable us to avoid over 2.5 million pounds of carbon dioxide pollution. This has the same impact as planting 335 acres of trees or removing 222 cars from the road.
To learn more about what you can do to celebrate Earth Day, click here. You can also make a donation to the Earth Day Network here. For more about how Lifeway is good for the environment, click here.
Are you celebrating Earth Day? Let us know how by visiting us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram!