INDIANAPOLIS — According to earthday.org, more than one billion people across the globe recognize Earth Day as a way to demonstrate support for environmental protection.
The Jewish Community Center in Indianapolis celebrates the holiday because they say honoring the Earth is one of the tenants of the Jewish religion.
“A big Jewish value is Tikkun Olam, which is to repair the world. We feel it’s our duty as the Jewish Community Center to have an Earth Day event that promotes repairing the world and promoting everything that has to do with recycling,” Ethan Cohen said.
The City of Indianapolis is also working to make the city greener. Their goal is to become carbon neutral by 2050.
According to the Indianapolis Office of Sustainability, around 33,000 homes in Marion County have curbside recycling. However, there is only a 12% participation rate among those households.
“There’s a lot of opportunity in Indianapolis to increase our recycling rates and the amount of waste we divert from landfills,” Lindsay Trameri with the Indianapolis Office of Sustainability said.
According to the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, Marion County currently diverts 16% of waste from landfills to recycling facilities with a 20% diversion rate statewide.
The Indianapolis Office of Sustainability would like to see those numbers increase, which is why they used their time at the Earth Day event to let people know what their options are.
“One way folks can recycle is to go to one of the 16 drop-off locations around the County and bring accepted recyclable materials for no extra cost,” Trameri said. “If you want a curbside cart that you fill with recycling and have it picked up, you have to subscribe directly with a private company.”
Trameri says they are working every day to improve the community’s options.
The City of Indianapolis was one of dozens of organizations at the event that were providing ways to reduce carbon footprints.
The Jewish Community Center hopes people who attended will use some of the knowledge they gained.
“These exhibitors and great companies have found ways to teach people how to re-use material and stretch things out a little bit longer,” Cohen said. “If they can just take the things they learned from the different vendors and use those in their own lives, it will help us as a community repair the Earth and reduce, reuse and recycle better.”
The Office of Sustainability says doing small things, like bringing your own reusable grocery bags and a re-usable cup for coffee or water are things you can do to help the environment.
To find a recycling drop off location near you click here.
