Earth Day

Earth Day Event

Recycled Pets Need Your Recyclables!

Synopsis:

Showcase ‘recycled pets’ available for adoption. Remind people to bring in their recyclables (paper, cans, ink cartridges, cell phones) so the rescue can turn them in for cash! You can create this event to be a pet-specific event, or open it up to the entire community! Charge a nominal booth fee for larger events, and accept donations at the door to raise some money. Food booths would also help bring in some funds. You could also ask local citizens to bring in their old pet items, such as outgrown collars, scratching posts and crates, to donate to your group.

Tabling:
Pass out brochures (printed on recycled paper!), business card magnets, and envelopes for ink cartridges. Be sure to have donation cans on hand as well.

Other Groups To Invite:
Other rescue groups can be invited to attend and showcase some adoptable pets. Since it will be an Earth Day celebration, any business or club interested in recycling should also be encouraged to host a booth. Freecycle(T) groups who help keep items out of landfills would be a great addition. Energy conservationists, companies that purify water and air, low-flush toilets, and other environmentally conscious groups could be invited. Talk with your local Waste Management Department to see if they could also be on hand to collect hazardous items such as car batteries, paint, or oil to be properly disposed.

Demonstrations:
Arrange to have several demonstrations from local agility clubs, obedience clubs, frisbee competition, synchronized dancing with dogs and the K9 Cops. Or, invite local environmentalists to talk about recycling in your community, from using old Christmas trees to create new habitats for fish in local ponds and lakes, to discussing which products are safe for you to reuse in your homes. Showcase some amazing items that have been recycled, such as crafts made with leftover materials, wreaths made from plastic bags, and Trash to Treasure projects for furniture and home interiors. Home decorators can teach mini-classes on using old window frames to create shadowbox frames or a display coffee table. Host a kids’ craft section where children can use old tennis balls and rope to make pull toys for rescued animals. Another idea is to allow kids to make milk carton birdhouses. Enlist a preschool or elementary school teacher to help research and organize the crafts.