Earth Day, the annual global event dedicated to the environment, is April 22, and there's no better way to celebrate the day than read about other people doing good things.
Here's some (mostly) local initiatives where organizations are (sort of) doing things for the planet:
Loews salads
Live by Loews – Arlington and Loews Arlington Hotel have unveiled Freshly Rooted by Loews Hotels, a culinary program that emphasizes sustainability with salads made from locally sourced ingredients at its two restaurants, Cut & Bourbon and Farena.
- Farena Beet & Citrus Salad: goat cheese ricotta, chicory, greens, grapes, and hazelnuts. Farms: Youngs Greenhouses (Clay County, Texas), Tru Harvest (Belton, Texas), and Village Farms Fresh (Marfa, Texas)
- Cut & Bourbon Seared Tuna Salad: Chopped lettuce, carrots, cucumber, cabbage, shaved onion, fried garlic, and micro greens in sesame ginger vinaigrette. Farms: True Harvest (Belton, Texas - Hydroponic leafy greens; Val Verde Vegetable Co. (McAllen, Texas), My Epicurean Farm (Dallas, Texas) - Aquaponic greens
Supermarket sweepstakes
Natural Grocers, the largest family-operated natural and organic chain — which sells only 100 percent organic produce to support regenerative farmers and offer products that meet rigorous quality standards — is celebrating Earth Day with special savings, giveaways, and educational efforts. Each year the company showcases environmentally conscious products and practices and hosts a special fundraiser throughout the month of April to bring awareness to the importance of a healthy planet. The company's month-long Earth Day celebration culminates with three days of exclusive Earth Day deals, freebies and sweepstakes, April 22-24.
Customers will get special Earth Day Deals of up to 46 percent on products like Cascadian Farm Select Organic Granola Pouches, Dr. Bronner's Toothpaste, Caboo Tree-Free Paper Towels Mega Roll, Vita Coco Select Coconut Waters and much more.
Sustainable wines
Sixty Vines, the wine-centric chain with locations in Uptown Dallas and Plano, is raising a glass to sustainability with a limited-time "Earth Month Flight" featuring four sustainably made wines from partners who are leading the charge in responsible winemaking: Kate Arnold Sauvignon Blanc, Alexander Valley Vineyards Rosé, Tablas Creek “Alouette” Grenache, and Stolpman “La Cuadrilla” Red Blend. Sixty Vines is home to the industry-leading wine-on-tap system, where each reusable keg replaces 26 bottles and can be reused up to 1,500 times. By their count, they've saved 442,274 bottles from landfills this year.
Free cake
Whiskey Cake, the American tavern chain with locations in Irving, Plano, and Fort Worth, is giving away a free slice of its signature whiskey cake, from April 22-28, to guests who bring in their own mug, as a thank-you for choosing to reuse. They call it a "fun, feel-good way to highlight waste reduction and kickstart greener habits." It's unclear how this helps the environment since the cup will have to be washed one way or another, whether at the restaurant or at your home. (Unless you don't wash it when you get home, and no judgment on that.) Either way, bringing your own mug is a good habit to practice. Guests will also get seed packets to plant their own herbs or flowers.
Airport recycle bins
Arca Continental Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages, the Coca-Cola bottler for Texas (and parts of Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Arkansas), has partnered with Dallas Fort Worth International Airport to install four "smart" recycling bins. Powered by SmartSort Technologies, Inc., these AI-enabled bins make it easier for travelers to separate recyclables from waste. A camera scans the item and tells the user which slot it goes into.
Two bins with slots for waste and recycling have been installed at Terminals D and E. Two more bins have been installed at DFW Airport Headquarters and the Department of Public Safety, who each got a triple-stream unit, which has not only waste and recycling but also composting.
An argument could be made that Coca-Cola — one of the world's largest plastic polluters, producing about 3 million tons of plastic packaging every year, or 200,000 bottles every minute — could make a far greater impact on the environment if it would just stick to the many environmental promises it has made over the years, such as its 2022 commitment to making 25 percent of its packaging reusable by 2030 — a commitment it has since reneged on. The company has been taken to court over its "greenwashed" claims which mislead consumers and mask its culpability in plastic pollution.
Non-plastic straws
A company called Corn Next is making straws from corn, water, and enzymes. A release says they have the durability of plastic without the environmental impact, containing zero chemical or synthetic ingredients, and they hold up for two hours in cold drinks. They come in a plain no-taste version, but there are also naturally fruit-flavored versions like lemon and lime,and they come in in cocktail and regular sizes as well as in pretty translucent colors. You can buy them online for home use, and soon they’ll be available in restaurants, bars and hotels across the country. The company was founded in China, but has offices in California (although they're planning to relocate to Illinois soon).
Rewilding hoodies
Beyond Meat, which makes convincing plant-based meats such as burgers and sausage (their Sweet Italian sausage is divine), has a limited-edition collection designed by Sean Wotherspoon to benefit Re:wild, a company that champions the idea of "rewilding" the planet to help slow climate change while protecting and restoring biodiversity. The collection includes T-shirts and hoodies with images of bison, wolves, and antelope.
