50 actions for 50 years

In 2021,  Environment and Climate Change Canada celebrated 50 years of environmental action in Canada. One way we honoured this milestone was by sharing 50 things Canadians can do to help protect our environment.

Check out the list below and share what you’re doing on social media using the hashtag #50for50 and tagging three friends to encourage others to help protect the environment.

We’re on Instagram @canenvironment, Facebook @EnvironmentandClimateChange and Twitter @environmentca.

Enjoy nature and learn about the environment

  1. Spend time outside
  2. Learn from Indigenous Peoples how to conserve nature
  3. Compost
  4. Build a pollinator garden
  5. Build a bird, bat or bee house
  6. Naturalize your yard for birds
  7. Grow fresh herbs or plant a food garden
  8. Plant trees. Bonus points for native species
  9. Become a citizen scientist
  10. Ask a Scientist
  11. Ride your bike or walk instead of driving, when possible
  12. Slow down for turtles and other wildlife if it is safe to do so
  13. Donate your time. Volunteer for an environmental cause

Help protect the environment from the comfort of your home

  1. Set the dishwasher to air dry
  2. Wash laundry in cold water
  3. Hang your laundry to dry instead of using a dryer
  4. Repair leaky faucets
  5. Don’t throw out leftovers. Save them for later
  6. Go paperless for your bills. Sign up to get them by email
  7. Plan an energy audit for your home
  8. When upgrading appliances, look for the energy efficient options
  9. Use rain and household grey water to water plants
  10. Use a programmable thermostat
  11. Use energy-efficient light bulbs
  12. Turn lights off when you leave a room
  13. Unplug, shut down, or turn off appliances that do not need to stay on
  14. Learn about what can be recycled in your municipality and recycle everything you can
  15. Use reusable plates and cutlery instead of single-use products
  16. Make your windows bird safe
  17. Learn to fix things so you can keep them longer
  18. Upcycle used items
  19. Donate instead of throwing things out
  20. Avoid pesticides and chemical fertilizers when possible
  21. Dispose of persistent toxic chemicals properly
  22. Recycle old electronics
  23. Safely dispose of lamps containing mercury

Use your purchasing power to help protect the environment

  1. Shop local
  2. Shop second-hand
  3. When you can, invest in products that are made to last
  4. Consider borrowing something instead of buying it
  5. Refill a reusable water bottle instead of buying bottled water
  6. Use reusable shopping bags
  7. Don’t buy products with plastic microbeads
  8. Buy products that can be reused, repaired or repurposed
  9. Support businesses that are reducing their environmental footprint
  10. Support companies that offer to take back packaging or products after use
  11. If possible, use products from sustainable farming, fishing and forestry to help protect bird habitat
  12. If possible, buy food that is in season
  13. Buy products made from responsibly recycled materials
  14. Buy refurbished products instead of new ones

Downloadable images

Page details

Date modified: