Almost 50 years to the day, millions of Americans took to the streets to fight for a cleaner and safer future for the environment. This day, memorialized as Earth Day, is celebrated every year on April 22.

To honor the day, Cleveland State University planned to host its annual Earthfest celebration, which it canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Even with the uncertainty of the outbreak, Cleveland State is still finding ways to do its part to be more ecofriendly.

People like Jenn McMillin, director of sustainability at Cleveland State’s Facilities Architect Safety Technology department or FAST, are promoting ways people can help protect the environment while at home during the shutdown.

“I try to cover a range of areas from outdoor activities to energy conservation to food waste and purchasing to climate issues,” McMillan said.

Despite the Earthfest cancellation, Cleveland State is still doing its part to be mindful of its impact on the environment. According to data provided by FAST, the university saw a 10 percent decrease in waste to landfill and a 14.56 percent increase in consumer recyclables between 2015 and 2019.

The reduction of landfill waste and increase in recycling are results of several different efforts from McMillin and her team at FAST. They have placed more recycling bins in Fenn Tower and added some at the Wolstein Center, which didn’t have any before. They also started a battery recycling program and placed outdoor recycling stations around campus.

McMillan noted that the city of Cleveland has a storied history when it comes to the environmental movement, saying Cleveland helped start the shift toward a greener future.

“It's particularly notable for Cleveland as the Cuyahoga River fire in 1969 made the cover of Time magazine and sparked the modern environmental movement,” McMillin said, “It led to Earth Day several years later along with the passage of the Clean Water Act, development of the EPA, and more.”

If you are looking for ways to help Cleveland State clean up the environment, there is a bingo card designed by McMillin attached with different activities focused around conservation. Other resources can be found at https://www.csuohio.edu/sustainability/sustainability.