NEW YORK—Earth Day is our most mainstream and widely celebrated environmental holiday—but there is more to sustainability than a once-a-year celebration. While many of us do our best to carry the principles of Earth Day and Arbor Day throughout the rest of the year, there are also a number of other environmentally conscious holidays that we can celebrate throughout the year, both personally and in the office. By adopting celebrations for days like America Recycles Day and World Environment Day, ECPs can underscore their commitment to sustainability from every angle—all while showing customers and patients how much more we can all do for our planet.

According to American Forests, there are at least six other environmental holidays throughout the year: International Day of Forests (March 21), National Endangered Species Day (May 19), World Biodiversity Day (May 22), World Environment Day (June 5), International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer (September 16) and America Recycles Day (November 15). Each of these days provides a valuable opportunity to speak about our impact on planet Earth.

For ECPs in particular, International Day of Forests provides a perfect opportunity to spotlight brands that partner with tree planting initiatives—these include Eco Eyewear, Kenmark Eyewear, Tura’s Botaniq and Charmant’s Eddie Bauer, among others. World Environment Day offers an opportunity similar to Earth Day, giving us a chance to shout out other sustainable brands, from those using sustainable materials to those making eco-conscious changes in production, packaging and more. And, of course, America Recycles Day is an invaluable moment to remind patients about contact lens recycling programs—or get one kick-started if your office doesn’t have one yet.

 
 America Recycles Day takes place on November 15 every year. The EPA has a dedicated webpage with resources and more information to help everyone take part. Image via EPA.gov
Texas A&M University hosts a comprehensive list of sustainable holidays year-round, too. With four months left in the year, there are still well over a dozen environmental holidays to celebrate, including International Day of Clean Air (September 7), World Car Free Day (September 22), World Animal Day (October 4), Energy Efficiency Day (October 6), World Planting Day (October 22), International Day of Climate Action (October 24) and Wildlife Conservation Day (December 4).

Earth Day and Arbor Day remain vital days for our planet and our environment, but they aren’t the be-all and end-all. The opportunities to celebrate and protect our planet are countless—and these holidays help make it that much easier. As we head into the final months of the year, there is still plenty of time to get behind an environmental holiday—and plenty of positive change that can come from it.