Simple ideas to try for Earth Hour 2022

This Saturday, 26 March 2022, marks Earth Hour; a day where millions of people across the world take part in sustainable activities and eco-friendly challenges to show support for our wonderful planet.

In this blog, we’ll introduce you to Earth Hour and talk about some activities and challenges that you can do on your own, or with friends and families to show your support for the event.

What is Earth Hour?

Held every year, on the last Saturday of March, Earth Hour is a worldwide movement organised by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).

This global event encourages individuals, communities, and businesses to turn off non-essential electric lights for one hour, from 8:30 to 9:30pm (local time in your country). It was first held as a “lights-off” event in Sydney, Australia, in 2007. Today, it’s seen as a symbol of commitment to the planet.

The idea is that everybody around the world takes one hour to make some simple, sustainable changes to their life. It’s all about raising awareness and getting people to help save planet Earth.

How do I get involved in Earth Hour?

You can get involved however you want. As mentioned, the original objective for Earth Hour is to turn unnecessary electrical items off (such as lights) for one hour. For some folk it has evolved beyond that and you can make a bigger statement by doing things like hosting a sustainable garden party. So long as you’re thinking and acting sustainably, there are no wrong answers.

And with that said, here are some sustainable activities and challenges (which, in true giffgaff style, are all based around mobile phones) to inspire you in time for Earth Hour 2022.

Litter-pick relay

On your marks, get set, litter pick! Start your own sustainable Olympics with a litter-pick relay. All you need is, a bin bag, a path around your neighbourhood where litter is often strewn and a map-tracking app, such as the free Strava app

Set Strava to record your walk and see how much ground you can clear in Earth Hour. Share your route with your friends and pass along the sustainability baton.

As an added bonus, you can link Strava to your fitness tracker (if you have one) to keep track of the calories you’ll burn.

Who can clear the most ground? Share your completed Strava map on the giffgaff community forum.

giffgaff member, ray2, is already all over this one:

”I can’t settle if I see something on the floor on our street. If it’s even a small piece of plastic I have to go and pick it up. It’s got to the point where me and hubby do litter picking twice a week in our street, but it makes me feel good and helps relieve some of my anxiety.”

The at-home wildlife survey

When was the last time you really stopped to notice all the wildlife on your doorstep? Whether you live in a rural village, sprawling suburbia or the city centre, we bet you take for granted just how much nature there is around you.

That’s why, this Earth Day we’re challenging you to take a stroll and photograph all the different types of tree, plant, insect and bird you find along the way. With your phone you can identify any new plants or critters you come across using apps such as Google Lens or iNaturalist.

Oh, and don’t forget to share your pictures with the giffgaff community. We can’t wait to see what you find.

All-weather stargazing

Is there anything more magical than looking at the stars? Earth Hour is the perfect opportunity to turn out the lights and look skyward.

Download a free stargazing app such as Star Walk 2 and Star Tracker. See how many constellations you can find and learn about. You might even be able to spot the International Space Station. Which would be awesome.

The best part is, with apps like these, you don’t even need to be outside to see the sky. If the weather is overcast, or wet and icky, you can simply lay out some cushions and stargaze from the living room floor.

Candlelight game night

This next idea came from one of our giffgaff members, kath72, and we love it. If you turn the lights out for Earth Hour this year, why not light some candles and play some old school board or card games by candlelight?

“Turn off all your devices and play cards by candlelight. Although the Risk board pieces are a little hard to navigate.”

This could be a great opportunity to introduce your kids to some classic games. It could even be the start of a fun, new weekly tradition.

And if you don’t own any board games, or your kids simply “must” play games on electronic devices, don’t worry. A lot of board and card games now have a free app version to play on your phone or tablet. Uno is a personal favourite of mine.

Re-home your old clothes

Wardrobe looking a little cluttered? Maybe it’s time for a clear out. No, wait. We mean a sustainable clear out.That’s right. No more throwing away old clothes, it’s time to give them a second life.

Free-to-download second-hand clothes apps are a great way to clear space in your wardrobe without hurting the planet. There’s a few choices out there, but a couple of well-known options to try are Vinted and Depop. Plus you could make a little money in the process. Win, win. Right?

Check out these other sustainable apps and discover more ways to cut down your waste.

Start your own sustainable revolution

Want to keep your sustainability efforts going way beyond Earth Hour? Use those sixty minutes to kick-start your own revolution.

Try hosting a digital brainstorm this Earth Hour and see how many practical green ideas you can come up with to help you, your friends and neighbours make a real difference.

Whether you start a shared doc, or make things more interactive with a group video call, bring folk in from far and wide to help with your cause. And remember, sometimes the simplest changes can make the biggest difference.

One giffgaffer, bobrobinson, plans to bring all his friends and family on board with a super-simple, but super-sustainable resolution:

“I plan to turn off my phone for a couple of hours when the time comes. And before that I will phone or text my family and friends to do the same.”

Are you making a sustainable resolution this Earth Hour? Share it with the giffgaff community and inspire more people to take your pledge.