OC is marking Earth Day by reducing waste, helping out, learning more

An event in Dana Point to celebrate Earth Day put a spotlight on a growing concern – the impact of textiles and fast fashion on landfills and waste.

A clothing swap was added this year to Stand Up To Trash’s annual Earth Day beach cleanup in the Dana Point Harbor on Saturday, April 18, with people showing up with bags of unwanted clothing to exchange with others so the materials go to a new home, rather than filling a trash can.

“There’s just so much waste,” said Vicki Patterson, founder of Stand Up To Trash, a nonprofit dedicated to raising awareness of the impacts of pollution.

When Patterson started researching textile waste, she said she was “astonished” by the numbers, including that if clothing manufacturers stopped making materials today, there would still be enough clothes for the next five generations.

According to a CalRecycle stat in 2021, Californians throw away 1.2 million tons of textiles a year. A more current figure from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said 85% of clothing ends up in landfills.

“We keep producing and producing, it’s creating consumerism. Instead of throwing it in a landfill, we are giving it a second life and we’re hoping that helps create less (waste) in the landfills,” Patterson said. “We are trying to stop the cycle of producing, and looking at things we can reuse.”

The clothing left over after all the swapping on Saturday went to Laura’s House, which helps domestic violence survivors, and area thrift stores.

“People were just dropping off bags and bags of clothing, it was so much fun,” Patterson said.

An estimated 225 volunteers also helped pick up about 425 pounds of trash during the event’s beach cleanup.

The Dana Point gathering was just one way Orange County communities and organizations already kicked off Earth Day celebrations, with more planned on Wednesday, April 22, and later to mark the quasi-holiday.

OC Public Libraries, in partnership with OC Waste & Recycling, has been hosting a month of special programs and activities designed to inspire eco-friendly practices and build connections with the greater world.

Throughout the month, the county library system has been holding “Gettin’ Wiggly with Composting” presentations at its various branches, the next from 5:30 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 21, at the Aliso Viejo Library. On Thursday, April 23, the program will be held at the same time at the Los Alamitos-Rossmoor Library in Seal Beach.

OC Public Libraries has also been hosting a film screening series to “combine entertainment and education to spark meaningful conversations about our planet and our future.”

“The Last Forest” will be shown at 2 p.m. on Sunday, April 26, at the Tustin Library. The documentary, released in 2021, focuses on the daily life of the Yanomami people who live in the Amazon rainforest, facing modern encroachment that threatens their way of life.

Make egg carton bird feeders at 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 21, at the Garden Grove Tibor Rubin Library, and paper flowers at 4 p.m. at the Fountain Valley Library.

The El Toro Library is hosting an Earth Day storytime at 10:30 a.m. on  Wednesday, April 22, with the Environmental Nature Center bringing live animals (registration is encouraged, space is limited). At 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 23, an Earth Day-themed pajama storytime at the Brea Library branch will be followed by craft-making.

There are several other events planned at the various library branches, check ocpl.org/earthday for more.

Tour the gardens, learn about bees and pollinators and more during Mission San Juan Capistrano’s Earth Day Celebration from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesday, April 22, with admission to the mission.

The Laguna Ocean Foundation is organizing a beach cleanup at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, April 22, at Laguna Beach’s Main Beach. Sign up at lagunaoceanfoundation.org.

“The Way of the Whale, ” an immersive film about “the profound bond between humans and gray whales and the urgent movement to protect changing ocean ecosystems,” will be shown at 7 p.m. on April 25 at the Rivian South Coast Theater in Laguna Beach.

Following the film, there will be a panel discussion featuring director and filmmaker Franco Campos-Lopez Benyunes, the executive director of Wildcoast, Serge Dedina, and more. Information: events.rivian.com/rivianpresentsthewayofthewhale

One Sol is hosting an Earth Day 5K fundraising race on Saturday, April 25, supporting OC Habitats, which helps to preserve and restore local ecosystems.

The event is open to all fitness levels, and there will be local vendors and community booths, as well as giveaways and samples. For each entry, One Sol will donate $10 to OC Habitats. Check-in is at 8 a.m. at the One Sol headquarters in Costa Mesa. More information or to register, visit ochabitats.org.

Bolsa Chica State Beach is also partnering with the Amigos de Bolsa Chica to host Running is for the Birds, a 5K and 10K “plogging” event, a term for picking up trash while jogging. A race fair will have educational booths about local birds, wetlands, and environmental stewardship around Bolsa Chica.

The event runs from 7 to 10 a.m. on Saturday, April 25. Parking is free for all participants. Get information and register at runforthebirds.com.

California State Parks is hosting an Earth Day Crawl on Sunday, April 26, with a beach cleanup and environmental fair at Bolsa Chica State Beach, with the Bolsa Chica Conservancy and the Huntington Harbour Yacht Club.

Attendees will be able to walk to all three sites and participate in environmental education, stewardship opportunities, crafts, games, live music, and food. The event runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Meet at Bolsa Chica State Beach.

Another way to mark Earth Day is to get out of the car and use public transit. With free rides on Wednesday, OCTA is encouraging more people to try transit and consider making it part of their daily routine to reduce traffic congestion and protect the environment.

“OCTA’s OC Bus fleet already runs on clean natural gas, with additional zero-emissions buses in the fleet, moving toward a 100% zero-emissions future to help improve air quality in Orange County,” officials said.

These are just a few of the events planned around the county. Check your city’s website for other local Earth Day events.