By using tips from Mickey Croyle and the Environmental Quality and Climate Change Committee you celebrate the 56th Anniversary of Earth Day 2026. The St Louis, Earth Day 2026 will be celebrated at in Forest Park (MUNY Grounds) on April 25 and April 26 from 11 to 5 pm. (Forest Park, 1 Theater Dr, St Louis, MO 63112). The theme for this year’s St Louis Celebration is “Our Planet vs. Plastics” and confronts one of the most pressing environmental challenges that the earth now faces.  From single use plastics to microplastics in our water and food systems, plastic pollution impacts ecosystems, wildlife, and human health. 

Good planets are hard to find, the Environmental Quality and Climate Committee (EQC2) challenges you to reduce your plastic use at home, to speak up for our planet earth, and take action to protect the environment

How do you reduce your plastic use at home and beyond? Reducing plastic use is a lifestyle change and will not always be easy. Plastic is everywhere. You can start by making a small change and committing to it. For example, you could switch from the plastic squeeze bottles for condiments (ketchup and mayonnaise) to the glass bottle that you can wash, reuse, refill or recycle or 1Make a Zero Waste to-go kit and use it.

1. Reuse rather than buying more plastic.
    1Make a Zero Waste to-go kit so that you can more easily avoid single-use plastics.  Keep it in your car or by the door so you can take it with you when you leave the house. Purchase and use a reuseable water bottle or coffee cup. Remember to bring with you for League meeting.
   Include in your kit:

1. Utensils and a cloth napkin. I use older washcloths that work well. I have bamboo knife, fork and spoon, chopstick that can be washed and reused.

2. A food container for take-out or leftovers.  (You can wash and reuse containers.  I am still using some of the Tupperware my mother gave me)

3. A travel coffee mug and reusable water bottle. 

4. Reusable shopping totes

5. Reusable produce bags

2. Avoid the worst plastics, thosewith numbers 3,6, 7, and black plastics found in food containers that have limited or no recycling markets and are more toxic to make and use. Look for more sustainable alternatives to plastic and when possible, opt for reusables or purchase items packaged in aluminum or glass rather and plastic.  Aluminum cans and glass bottles and jars can be recycled infinitely!
   

3. Make it a habit to refuse single-use plastics!

   - Request “no straw” as soon as you sit down at a restaurant.
   - Let a restaurant know you don’t need a plastic bag, plastic utensils, or condiment packets with your take-out.
   - Refuse plastic beverage bottles, cling wrap, sandwich bags, and coffee cups (they are plastic-coated and not recyclable). Remember to bring your own travel coffee cup or drink cup (stainless steel). Water in plastic bottles have high levels of microplastics that can act as endocrine disruptors
   - When eating out bring your reusable container to take any leftovers home.
   - In the kitchen it is a challenge. I have found that you can reduce use of plastic wrap in the kitchen by use of Wax paper (bee wax NOT petroleum products) that is compostable and is a good substitution for single use plastic. You can buy various sizes of reusable plastic bowl covers. Aluminum foil can also be a good choice. You can clean and dry it, then create an aluminum ball for recycling.
   - Stop using single use plastic bags for packing sandwiches and meals that you take from home.

   
   
   

4. Reduce the plastic in your home. Try to buy products that have little to no packaging.
   Buy bulk foods, liquids, cleaners, and much more using your own refillable containers.
   Stop using plastic produce bags—use reusable cloth bags or no bag at all!
   Avoid single-use plastic for school, work or business lunches/meals by replacing plastic bags, wraps, and containers with durable, sustainable alternatives like stainless steel bento boxes, glass jars, and beeswax wraps. Pack meals in reusable bags, use cloth napkin or washcloth, and choose metal or bamboo cutlery instead of plastic disposables.
   

5. Recycle: When you can’t avoid packaging, look for alternatives to plastic that can be reused and infinitely recycled.

1. Glass jars and bottles. Glass can be recycled without loss of quality. Once glass bottles are tossed into the recycling bin, they can be  back on shelves in less than a month! reports Republic Services.

2. Aluminum cans and foil: Making a can out of recycled aluminum requires only 5% of the energy consumed to produce aluminum cans from bauxite., as reported by the Aluminum Association.

Additional information and references

Reducing single-use plastic in everyday social practices: Insights from a living lab experiment - ScienceDirect

10 Ways to Reduce Plastic Pollution

Ways to Reduce Plastics at Home - UF/IFAS Extension Sarasota County

Single-Use Plastics 101 References

12 Ways to Breakup with Single-Use Plastics

Reduce Your Plastic Use - Ecocyle

What You Can Do to Reduce Plastic Waste

Tips to Reduce Your Plastic Waste - WWF

Environmental Tip April 2026: 

Here are keyways to accept the Environmental Quality and Climate Change Committee's challenge to reduce your plastic use at home, to speak up for the planet earth, and to take action to protect our good planet. 

1. Decrease your plastic use at home. 

• Work to reduce your reliance on plastic, (see Voter April 2026)

• Download a 1Plastic Calculator to track your efforts. 
  Every small step helps!  Either Plastic Calculator / Earthday
   or Plastic Footprint Calculator - Check Your Environmental Impact
  

2. Speak up to protect our planet Earth 

• Help with the Voter Registration. Are you a trained Missouri Voter Registrar volunteer to help at the various LWV Metro STL voter registration event and remember the Earth Day Voter Registration table.
  

• Contact your Federal Representatives and local government: Encourage federal, local, and state leaders to maintain or set independent sustainability goals despite federal rollbacks.
  

• Remind people to Vote informed on the issues.
  

• Respond to Action Alerts from the League including Democracy, Voting, and Environmental Quality and Climate Change from the League.
  

3. Act to protect the environment:

• Plant Native Species: Plant trees and native vegetation to support biodiversity and improve local air quality and to provide a refuse for bees and birds “Pollinator Support”.  Participate in a local initiative working to restore urban canopies (lost during last Spring’s tornado).

 4. Participate in one of the recycling, and environmental events that are taking place in the St. Louis, such as
 2026 St. Louis Earth Day Festival in Forest Park and the Great Rivers Greenway Celebration in Ferguson. On Saturday, April 11 there is the Confluence Trash Bash in Bridgeton.  On April 22 the Mastodon Document Destruction and Recycling Event cohosted by Jefferson County Storm Water Department with MRC Electronics Recycling.