The very first Earth Day was celebrated on April 22, 1970. Inspired by student anti-war protests of the time, Earth Day founder Sen. Gaylord Nelson wanted to harness that same proactive energy into an initiative to protect the environment. It worked. The first Earth Day saw some 20 million Americans taking to the streets in rallies and protests across the country. By the end of that year, the United States Environmental Protection Agency had been created, and the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species Acts were passed. “It was a gamble,” Sen. Nelson recalled, “but it worked.” Year after year, the Earth Day phenomenon grew, and in 1990, it became a global event. 200 million people across 141 countries brought environmental issues to the world stage.
Earth Day 1990 helped encourage recycling efforts worldwide and prompted the United Nations to hold its first Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992.
Jump to today, and while there is certainly more awareness about the issues facing our planet, the need to protect it is greater than ever. At Leaves of Trees, a key motivator is the health of our planet, along with all the living things on it! It’s why we only source ethical, sustainable ingredients for our all-natural skincare. It’s why all of our packagings are recyclable, and we’re conscious about reducing not only waste but our carbon footprint. Making all of our skincare in small batches just down the street from our shop reduces the dependency on fossil fuels and the resulting harmful emissions.
Doing what we can for our planet is also why we proudly offer a bottle recycling program. All of our glass bottles can be returned to our flagship store and will be cleaned, sterilized and reused. As a bonus, returning a 50ml or 100ml bottle will score you 25% off your purchase of another 50ml or 100ml argan oil of your choice!
Photo Courtesy of the University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability via Flickr - Earth Day / Enact 1970