Sustainability on the Calendar: Days, Weeks, and Months for Eco-Friendly Efforts

By Ushma Pandya, Co Founder & Partner at Think Zero LLC

Credit: WESSA Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa

In an ideal world, every day would be Earth Day. The vast majority of us live here every day, and waste reduction and environmental awareness are daily practices. Then again, in an ideal world, we wouldn’t need an Earth Day. Environmental awareness would raise itself.

In reality, many people feel overwhelmed about how to even start living in a more eco-conscious way. Designated days, weeks, and months are great entry points for this exact purpose, and we’ve seen a huge uptick in these types of events since Earth Day was formally established in the 1970s.

In 2025, eco-conscious annual events incorporate everything from viral social media hashtags to local volunteer programs to official UN reports. They’re also more accessible than ever, happening on the regional, national, and even international levels.

Whatever the exact focus of an annual Earth-themed day (or week, or month), the fundamental goal is always the same: get more people involved in the environmental project, and save the world in the process. Now it feels like there’s always an Earth Day coming up, no matter the time of year.

The graphic above has a list of all the different sustainability days that you could celebrate and host an event around to raise awareness.

Here are five annual dates to mark down on your calendar:

World Water Day

When? Every year on March 22

Sponsored by the United Nations, World Water Day has only grown more essential since its inaugural observance in 1993. Its broad scope, spanning everything from sustainable management of freshwater resources to the role of water access in conflicts, is kept digestible through a specific focus each year. 2025’s theme was Glacier Preservation, and coincided with a social media campaign, awareness events around the world, and the release of a World Water Development Report focused specifically on mountain glaciers. If you want a truly globally-minded day, it’s this.

Find more information on the UN’s World Water Day hub here.

International Compost Awareness Week

When? First full week of May

Initially started in the 1990s as a joint effort between the U.S. Composting Council and Compost Council of Canada, International Compost Awareness Week (ICAW) now runs every spring under the auspices of the Compost Research & Education Foundation. Each installment has its own theme, but there’s always an emphasis on composting’s broad accessibility. Composting is a low-effort, high-impact tool in the fight for a healthier planet, and thus a great gateway for people at the beginning of their waste reduction journey. Sanctioned ICAW events take place throughout the week in multiple states.

Find more information on ICAW’s site here.

Plastic Free July

When? The entire month of July

Getting both newcomers and waste-reducing veterans into change-making efforts is the idea behind The Plastic Free Foundation’s Plastic Free July, an entire month dedicated to making people more mindful of their plastic consumption and waste. Boasting a reach of 100 million people across 190 countries, the Foundation spends its month-long awareness campaign hosting events and providing free resources to schools, businesses, and local governments. No need to wait, either, since their website is a wealth of waste-reducing tips all year long. 

Find more information on Plastic Free July’s site here.

Secondhand September

When? The entire month of September

The British charity shop chain turned global humanitarian foundation Oxfam is the brains behind Secondhand September—a waste-reducing trend that has since taken on a life of its own on and off social media. There are over 200k posts on Instagram tagged #secondhandseptember, and creators across platforms offering tips and tricks on how to thrift better, restyle clothes, sell on secondhand platforms like Vinted, and keep your wardrobe from contributing to fashion’s major waste problem. 

America Recycles Day

When? Every year on November 15

Keep America Beautiful took over America Recycles Day in 2010, and it’s now the only nationally recognized day focused on recycling efforts and awareness. Each November, KAB’s network of volunteers and affiliates set up recycling and clean-up events throughout the country, with many focusing on hard-to-dispose-of items like tires and hazardous waste. Last year these local events collected a combined 2.4 million pounds of recyclables and picked up 150,000 pounds of litter. The other big win? Getting people into a recycling mindset for the other 364 days of the year.

Find more information on America Recycles Day here. 

If you would like help crafting and hosting an event that helps raise awareness and engages your team or community, contact us at Think Zero LLC.