By Sam Pudelski, American Red Cross volunteer

Earth Day is a time where we reflect on the sustainable changes we can make in our work and our daily lives to be more environmentally friendly. While Earth Day has been associated with planting trees and other greenery, there’s many ways individuals, groups and organizations can make changes to be more “green.” 

The American Red Cross Northern Ohio Region is taking steps to contribute to the Red CrossNational Sustainability initiative to make more sustainable business choices. Three years ago, they established the Green Team Committee to focus on implementing sustainable change throughout the region. The 17-person committee is led by co-chairs Erica Van Pelt and Rachel Hepner. Erica has been with the Red Cross for 11 years and is the Northern Ohio Business Operations Specialist. Rachel has been with the Red Cross for 21 years and serves as the Executive Director for the Red Cross of Western Lake Erie..

Since its inception, the Green Team Committee has launched several initiatives to reduce single use plastics including:

• Providing reusable bags and refillable water bottles to the entire Northern Ohio Regional staff
• Upgrading most building drinking fountains to water bottle refill stations
• Replacing water-cooled ice machines with air-cooled ice machines, greatly reducing energy usage

Additionally, each chapter is finding ways to make a difference in their area for this year’s Earth Day. The activities range throughout the region and include:

• Decorating clay pots and planting sprouts
• Repurposing old t-shirts to make sew-free tote bags
• Collecting clothing and small appliances which will repurposed through SAVERS thrift stores
• Making beeswax fabric covers to replace plastic wrap and zip-top bags for storing produce and food
• Holding a recycling drive in the community

Why It Matters

The Red Cross has seen firsthand the effects of climate change through its disaster response efforts. As extreme weather disasters increase, so do the number of people impacted. Hurricanes, extreme heat, floods and wildfires have become more prevalent in recent years. In the last 10 years, more than 8.5 million people were displaced in the U.S. due to climate disasters. 

What You Can Do

It may seem like a daunting task to reverse climate change but the reality is each change, both big and small, can help make a difference. Together, our collective efforts can make an impact that can help our communities and those across the country. Consider this Earth Day as a place to make a small sustainable swap in your daily routine or volunteer locally with a local organization. Additionally, the Northern Ohio Green Team Committee is always looking for new ideas and team members. You can connect with the team at NOHGreenTeam@redcross.org.