In a world confronted with great environmental challenges — Earth Day inspires us all to take action

As chocolatiers and cacao growers, the environment is a key consideration in everything we do at Hotel Chocolat. And that’s exactly why we want to highlight one particular event — Earth Day 2022. This April, we’ll be joining over 1 billion people in more than 192 countries to show our commitment to creating a greener future.

As Earth Day 2022 approaches, learn about the history of the event and how you can take part.

What is Earth Day?

The aim of Earth Day is to educate the public about the world’s environmental crisis and inspire action. It’s a day to learn about our planet and what we can do to help protect it, whether that’s calling for more green policies, supporting community projects, or taking individual action.

The first Earth Day took place in 1970 amidst rising public awareness of environmental issues like pollution and air quality. Gaylord Nelson, a senator from Wisconsin in the United States, worked together with Pete McCloskey and the activist Denis Hayes to organise teach-ins for students.

It wasn’t all for nothing, either. Earth Day 1970 got the ball rolling for several environmental laws in the US, including the National Environmental Education Act, Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and more. Since then, Earth Day has gone international and is celebrated all over the world.

When is Earth Day 2022?

Earth Day falls on April 22nd each year, which means Earth Day 2022 will be on a Friday.

This particular date was originally chosen as a midpoint between Spring Break and Final Exams in order to maximise student participation. But nowadays it’s not just students who take part — people of all ages and occupations are encouraged to participate.

The theme of Earth Day 2022 is “Invest In Our Planet”, encouraging us to choose, support, and invest in green business practices and policies.

How do people celebrate Earth Day?

The first Earth Day was less of a celebration and more of a demonstration. Now, the movement is global. People can take part in many different ways, whether that be on a civic, community, or individual level. Becoming more environmentally literate, combating plastic pollution, and eating greener are just some ways that people embrace Earth Day.

Why is Earth Day important?

If we’re going to prevent climate catastrophe, we need to act now.

Our environment is the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the cacao trees that allow us to create our chocolate. Right now, climate change is progressing at an alarming rate — there’s no time to hesitate. Earth Day does a great job of raising awareness. It also provides educational opportunities and facilitates discussion between individuals, sectors, and countries. With everything going on, it’s easy to think that there’s nothing you can do. Earth Day, however, makes it easy to get involved — in ways both big and small.

What you can do for Earth Day 2022

Here are just a few ideas for Earth Day activities this spring. These suggestions are by no means exhaustive, though — the possibilities are endless!

Commit to recycling

Plastic pollution is a colossal environmental issue. Even if you’re recycling or reusing some household items already, why not take some time to consider what else you could be recycling?

If you use coffee pods, our Podcycler (compatible with most brands of aluminium pods) makes it easy to recycle them.

Get involved in your community

It’s easy to dwell on global problems, but engaging with local community projects is an effective way to take direct, meaningful action. Why not look for local tree planting, gardening, or litter picking groups to make your community a cleaner and greener place.

Go vegan for the day

One way to reduce your carbon footprint is to reduce your consumption of animal products and choose locally-grown, seasonal produce. This can be easier said than done, so why not go plant-based for a day, and try out some delicious vegan recipes? It might turn out easier (and tastier) than you expected.

Learn something new

Lots of us know about the impact of things like fast fashion and electronic waste. But do you feel there are gaps in your knowledge? Are you keen to learn more about some issues? Joining discussions, attending talks, and seeking out information on environmental problems will help you support relevant causes and make more sustainable purchasing decisions in the future.

What we do for the environment

At Hotel Chocolat, we don’t just want to advocate for helping the environment, we want to lead by example. Both our crops and the communities we work with will be impacted by climate change. We support immediate, effective action.

We’re excited to be on our way towards 100% recyclable or reusable packaging by the end of 2022, and are aiming for net-zero by 2030. It’s a tall order, but we think it’s worth it. From switching to renewable energy resources and reducing our use of palm oil to sourcing almost all of our packaging from the U.K. and E.U., we’re constantly looking to reduce our impact on the environment.

We’re constantly looking for ways to reduce our food waste using handy ‘waste hacks’, that you can incorporate at home. Simple actions, such as ensuring your fridge is at the right temperature and making the most of your freezer, can go a long way in reducing your food waste.

And have you tried our Ugly But Good bags? Chocolates that don’t meet our high visual standards don’t get featured on our product pages, but they’re no less delicious!

So, what are you planning to do this Earth Day? We’ll be hard at work improving our sustainable packaging and sitting down with some yummy Nutmilk chocolates.