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

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

Use your purchasing power to help protect the environment

37. Shop local
38. Shop second-hand
39. When you can, invest in products that are made to last
40. Consider borrowing something instead of buying it
    
41. Refill a reusable water bottle instead of buying bottled water
    
42. Use reusable shopping bags
43. Don’t buy products with plastic microbeads
    
44. Buy products that can be reused, repaired or repurposed
    
45. Support businesses that are reducing their environmental footprint
46. Support companies that offer to take back packaging or products after use
47. If possible, use products from sustainable farming, fishing and forestry to help protect bird habitat
48. If possible, buy food that is in season
49. Buy products made from responsibly recycled materials
    
50. Buy refurbished products instead of new ones

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