Earth Day 2023 In Marlborough: See Local Eco-Activities

MARLBOROUGH, MA — Fifty-three years ago Saturday, eco-warriors staged the first Earth Day, a celebration of eco-consciousness that now takes place in more than 190 countries and has grown to become the most widely observed nonreligious holiday in history.

There are plenty of ways to observe Earth Day, from parades and parties to cleanups, rallies and workshops. Here’s what’s going on in Marlborough for the 2023 holiday.

Citywide Clean Sweep — Volunteers will gather at the DPW, 135 Neil St., on April 22 between 9 a.m. and noon where yellow trash bags and T-shirts will be available, and participants can check in with their respective clean-up location. For those who can’t make the Saturday event, contact the DPW anytime Monday through Friday 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at (508) 624-6910. Filled Yellow trash bags should be left curbside to be collected by the DPW through May 6.

Drug Take-back — Although not strictly Earth Day-related, the city's annual drug take back event will help residents dispose of potentially harmful substances. Residents can drop off unused prescriptions at the Marlborough Police Station lobby or the CVS at 264 East Main St.

Park Serve Day — The day after Earth Day is Park Serve Day, an event that aims to beautify public natural areas. The Department of Conservation and Recreation will host a litter pickup at the Blackstone Heritage Center starting at 9 a.m. and they still need volunteers.

Have an Earth Day event you want included? Email neal.mcnamara@patch.com.

The modern environmental movement that began 53 years ago has brought about a sea change in how Americans view climate change, and many now regard it as an existential crisis. This year’s theme is “Invest In Our Planet,” a prod to governments, businesses, institutions and the 1 billion Earth Day participant to devote their resources to fighting climate change.

If you can't join an organized Earth Day event, here are some things you can do to mark the holiday on your own:

Don’t Drive

Did you know that parking the car and walking or biking to where you need to get would significantly reduce your carbon footprint?

That’s according to an Imperial College London study published in the journal Global Environmental Change. The study, the first to look at how lifestyle changes can reduce carbon emissions, found that was the case even in European cities where many people already walk and cycle to their destinations.

Skip Meat

Lent is over, but you could help the environment by extending your meat-free diet for a little longer. Not only is the livestock industry incredibly carbon-intensive, the industry uses huge swaths of land to grow crops to feed animals being prepped for slaughter. Vegetables and grains are also carbon intensive, but less than meat, according to the University of Michigan.

Plant A Tree

If everyone joined with billions of others and planted a tree, an area the size of the United States could be reforested, increasing the world’s tree canopy by a third without disrupting agriculture or city development, and blotting out about 100 years of carbon emissions.

That’s according to “The global tree restoration potential,” the first study ever to look at how many trees the planet can support.

“Our study clearly shows that forest reforestation is the best climate change solution available today,” lead author of the study, ETH Zürich researcher Tom Crowther, said in a statement to National Geographic.

However, National Geographic said it could take more than 100 years to add enough mature forest to achieve significant carbon reduction, especially as about 40 billion tons of carbon dioxide — the result of burning fossil fuels — are added to the atmosphere every year, Glen Peters, research director at Norway’s Center for International Climate Research, told National Geographic.

Nix Fast Fashion

The average American discards 80 pounds of clothing a year, and 85 percent of it ends up in landfills, where the material used to make it produces methane. Although carbon dioxide has a longer lasting effect on climate change, methane has more than 80 times the warming power of carbon dioxide during the first 20 years after it reaches the atmosphere, according to the Environmental Defense Fund.

One way to offset that is to stop buying cheap, trendy fashion that goes out of style quickly, according to Columbia Climate School at Columbia University. Shopping at a local thrift store is a good alternative, giving you the chance to recycle useable clothing while supporting local charities. Here are some local thrift stores where you might find some hidden gems:

• Habitat For Humanity ReStore — Locations in Worcester, Ashland, Leominster
• Abby's House Thrift Store — 52 High St., Worcester
• The Little Store — 242 Canterbury St., Worcester
• Salvation Army — 72 Cambridge St., Worcester
• Savers — Locations in Worcester, Marlborough, Framingham
• Blessing Barn — 5 Hastings St., Mendon