Every year on April 22nd, we observe Earth Day—one of the first major initiatives to promote preservation of the environment. At first it focused just on the United States, but it today seeks to inspire individuals, communities, businesses, and governments around the world to help keep our planet green for future generations. Even though environmental awareness is much greater than it was in 1970 when the first edition was held, we still have a long way to go. What do we at Mana do to care for the environment? Among other things, we make our foods with low-impact ingredients, and take steps to innovate our production line and reduce packaging materials. And for the rest of this April, we’ll be offering green shipping free of charge. In this article, you’ll learn about what that actually means, what started Earth Day over 50 years ago, and what steps we as humans have taken to protect our planet since then!

Though early editions of Earth Day were politically charged, it is now a socio-ecological holiday for the advocacy of environmentally friendly living in general. It is celebrated in over 190 countries.

What started Earth Day?

The idea for Earth Day was first mentioned in 1969 at a UNESCO conference in San Francisco, when peace activist John McConnell suggested that a day be set to honor the concepts of peace and ecology. But the first official edition was not organized until a year later, as a movement to combat long-term neglect of the environment. Air pollution associated with the development of American industry, deforestation, the devastation of oceans and various species of animals, the war in Vietnam, and other incidents were attracting national media attention, and people across the United States had begun to express strong dissatisfaction with the situation. 

Gaylord Nelson, one of the first US senators to respond to the public outrage, called the entire nation to “enlighten itself” on environmental issues and proposed a day of public education. On that day—the first edition of Earth Day—the turnout was enormous. Over 20 million Americans (10% of the US population at the time) took to the streets, parks, and lecture halls to speak out against the effects of 150 years of industrial development.

From coast to coast of the United States, thousands of schools and universities organized protests. Groups that had been acting in opposition to oil spills, pollution caused by factories and power plants, toxic sewage and landfills, highway pollution, and loss of wilderness and wildlife suddenly realized that they shared values.

After that, things began to change. New laws were passed to keep waters clean, protect endangered species, and limit the emission of toxic fumes into the air. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) were also established. The growth of the Earth Day initiative since 1970 has been extraordinary, and in 1990, the rest of the world joined the US, making April 22nd an international symbol for responsible management of Earth’s resources. 50 years on from the first edition, we are still working together for a greener tomorrow.

Mana is offering “green shipping” till the end of April, free of charge!

For us, being considerate towards the planet means implementing concrete solutions that are an investment in our lives today, as well as the lives of future generations. Not only do we use renewable sources of energy and environmentally friendly ingredients from proven manufacturers and distributors, we take continuous steps to innovate our production line and reduce packaging materials.

In 2018, upon the release of our Mark 5 generation of foods, we reduced our consumption of plastic by 50% and paper by 20%. In 2020, we introduced the Family Pack, which uses 87% less paper and 76% less plastic than our standard packaging. (This has literally saved tons of waste!) You can read more about what we do for the environment here and here.

In cooperation with courier service GLS, we’ll be offering “green shipping” as part of their ThinkGreen program. The principles of ThinkGreen inform all their delivery processes, from how they power their vehicles, to transport planning, to the construction of new, environmentally friendly buildings. The initiative aims to ensure responsible use of resources, reduce emissions, and optimize waste management. This goes hand in hand with our vision for a better future. GLS also invests the proceeds of this initiative in non-governmental projects that support the planting of trees.

To celebrate Earth Day this year, we’ll be offering green shipping for free until the end of April!

* Offer not valid on the ManaBurger because delivery of frozen products is not covered under ThinkGreen. Valid on all other products to all EU countries. Not valid on orders to the UK or the US.

Sources: 

[1] EarthDay.org. The history of Earth Day.
https://www.earthday.org/history/

[2] National Ocean Service, When Was the First Earth Day?
https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/earth-day.html