Earth Day 2025: Everything You Need to Know

Earth Day says it mobilises over a billion people annually, how does it help the planet?

According to EARTHDAY.ORG, the awareness day has been mobilising over 1 billion people annually in over 190 countries to protect the planet. The event was born out of increasing environmental concern, tracing its roots to when peace activist John McConnell proposed a day dedicated to the Earth in 1969 at a UNESCO conference in San Francisco.

Protecting the planet is a pretty big topic, but what is the event all about? In this piece, we will cover what Earth Day entails, its impact, the theme and dates for 2025, as well as how you can take part.

What is Earth Day?

Earth Day is an annual event held to raise awareness for environmental protection. As mentioned, the first proposal of its kind was made by John McConnell. The first date of McConnell’s original idea was scheduled for March 21, 1970 (the first day of spring in the northern hemisphere), and it was intended to be a day to honour the planet and the concept of peace.

One month later, U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson suggested organising an environmental teach-in on April 22, 1970. To lead the effort, he brought on a young activist named Denis Hayes to serve as the national coordinator. This event evolved into the annual event that we know today.

Since then, Earth Day has grown as a celebration of the planet. The organisation behind it has been involved in initiatives that involve plastic reduction and cleanups, tree planting, climate education and many more.

When is Earth Day 2025?

Earth Day in 2025 will take place on April 22. Since the first official event in 1970, the event has taken place on the same date every year.

What is the theme for 2025?

For 2025, Earth Day’s theme is ‘Our Power, Our Planet’. The theme focuses on promoting renewable energy and encourages observants to contribute to tripling electricity derived from clean energy by 2030.

Earth Day past themes

Each year has a different year, which helps to guide the general tone of each year’s campaign. Some past themes include:

• Planet vs. Plastics (2024) – With plastics becoming an increasing concern in recent years, this theme aimed to combat the global plastic crisis by advocating for a 60% reduction in plastic production by 2040. The campaign highlighted the harmful effects of plastics on human health, wildlife and ecosystems.
• Invest in Our Planet (2022 and 2023) – This theme emphasises the role of business, government and individuals in building a sustainable economy. It encouraged investments in clean energy, circular economies and climate-resilient infrastructure. This was the theme for both 2022 and 2023. However, the 2022 edition was more focused on holding governments accountable.
• Restore Our Earth (2021) – The theme for 2021 focused on the importance of restoring the planet’s ecosystems through natural processes, emerging green technologies and innovative thinking.

Regardless of the theme, participants worldwide are always encouraged to engage in eco-friendly activities such as tree planting, community clean-ups and educational events, to celebrate the planet. In the next section, we will list some ways regular events arranged by Bywaters that your organisation can take part in for a healthier planet.

Activities You Can Take Part in for Earth Day 2025

Beach Cleans

What better way to protect the planet from plastic litter? Join Bywater’s litter cleans. Plastic pollution is one of the most important environmental issues facing the world today, we say this as London’s major recycler. Every year, our facility in Bow processes over 6,000 tonnes of plastic waste, including around 75 million plastic bottles and almost 184 million plastic bags.

Aside from our services, we regularly host cleanup activities around London and the Southeast to reduce the amount of waste that enters our waterways and impart plastic education along the way. It is open to everyone and you can also take part in this activity by contacting us today to improve our waterways.

Tree planting

If cleaning up litter isn’t your thing, we also host tree-planting activities throughout the year for all sorts of organisations. These events help plant carbon-reducing plants that help make the planet healthier year-round, being in line with Earth Day’s principles.

Education and training

Moreover, as experts in recycling and sustainability, we also offer education and training to all sorts of organisations to minimise their impact on the planet. If you are an organisation that is keen on improving its planet-friendly credentials, our Sustainability team is here to advise and impart knowledge to you every step of the way.

In a nutshell…

Earth Day continues to be a widely celebrated environmental day, as well as a great opportunity to take part in eco-friendly initiatives. From cleanups to sustainability education, we’ve listed some ways to get involved for a better planet.

You made it this far…

Bywaters is a recycler operating in the Greater London area. We have a strong sustainability ethos that is deeply embedded into our ethos. This Earth Day, how about making a difference by elevating your waste management sustainability with us? If you would like to find out more about our operations, contact us today to find out more.