22 Ways to Celebrate Earth Month
No foolin' around here! We're celebrating the Earth all April long!
Earth Day was founded by U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson and first held on April 22, 1970, to raise awareness of environmental issues following a massive 1969 oil spill. Around 20 million Americans participated in rallies, leading to the creation of the EPA and landmark legislation like the Clean Air Act.
This April, KKB is celebrating Earth Day with 22 Acts of Service! Join KKB as we show the Earth some love this April!
22 Ways to Serve the Earth
Pick up litter in your neighborhood
Litter not only makes our neighborhoods look bad, but it’s also dangerous to people and animals, blocks storm drains, and impacts water quality. Did you know that there are 88 million pieces of litter on Tennessee roads? Do your part and help keep Knoxville clean! Organize a cleanup with your friends, family, organization, school, church, or business. Reach out to our Program Coordinator at programs@keepknoxvillebeautiful.org to reserve cleanup supplies for free!
Recycle
Recycle your cardboard, paper, plastic, metal, and glass in Knoxville! If you live in a house in the City of Knoxville, you are eligible for a free curbside recycling bin. Call 311 to request a recycling bin if you don’t have one. You can also take your recycling to any of the city recycling centers or county convenience centers. Keep Knoxville Beautiful’s recycling attendants can assist you with recycling or any questions you may have at the city recycling centers.
Recycling is great for the environment because it reduces the amount of trash that goes into landfills. Landfills take up space on our Earth and pollute our soil, air, and water. Recycling preserves our natural resources that are used to make everyday products. When recyclable materials are sent to a recycling center, such as Knoxville’s local Smurfit Westrock facility, they are sorted and baled for shipment to recycling plants in the United States, where they are cleaned, shredded, melted, and molded into new products. As of now, only 30% of waste in the United States is recycled.
Shop with reusable bags
Next time you go to the grocery store, don’t forget your reusable bags! Reusable bags are an easy way to help the Earth and reduce the amount of plastic waste you create. According to ShortFoodBlog, “Plastic bags are used for an average of 12 minutes, but they can take up to 1,000 years to decompose. The production and disposal of plastic bags result in millions of tons of waste each year, with a significant portion ending up in oceans and waterways, harming marine life and contaminating the food chain.” Plastic bags are easily blown from trash cans or cars and become litter. Making the switch to reusable bags can reduce plastic waste, reduce litter, and therefore benefit you and wildlife. Reusable bags are also a lot more durable and can hold more items than a plastic bag. If you don’t have any reusable bags, you could use a gym bag or backpack or even reuse your plastic grocery bags.
Use a reusable water bottle
Ditch plastic bottles and use a reusable bottle! This is a great way to save money and the environment. According to Biology Insights, “Once used, about 80% of these [plastic] bottles end up in landfills or pollute ecosystems. Only 9-12% are actually recycled. Plastic bottles can persist in the environment for an extended period, taking an estimated 450 years to decompose. During this lengthy decomposition, they break down into smaller microplastic particles that can infiltrate water sources and marine life.” This swap is another easy, everyday habit to start! It can be fun picking out a water bottle, adding stickers, and making it a must-have accessory!
Sign up for the South Knoxville Community Cleanup
Volunteer with us at the tenth annual South Knoxville Community Cleanup, which will be held on Saturday, April 18th, 2026, from 9am-12pm! The event base will be at Chapman Square, located at 4409 Chapman Hwy, Knoxville, TN 37920. We will be removing litter from South Knoxville roads, creeks, and parks. Participants of any age are welcome! We look forward to seeing those who live, work, or play in South Knoxville - as well as anyone who wants to lend a helping hand. Ijams Nature Center is partnering with us for an invasive species removal as well. There are four volunteer options to choose from. You can find more information on our events page and sign up to volunteer!
Compost your food scraps at the city recycling centers
Participate in the Knoxville Compost Project! There are 8 food scrap drop-off locations around Knoxville, including the 4 city recycling centers. So when you’re dropping off your recycling, you can drop off compost too! Please review the Yes/No list on the city’s website and take the quiz to test your knowledge and get the lock code. Time to collect your fruit and veggie scraps to make nutritious soil for plants instead of adding more waste to the landfills!
Walk or bike instead of driving
Get out in the wonderful spring sunshine and go for a walk or bike ride! Walking and biking are the most sustainable forms of transportation. They reduce greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change and air pollution. It is a great way to exercise and get some fresh air. You also don’t have to worry about gas prices. “The average person emits about 4.8 tons of CO2 annually through personal transportation.” By walking or biking, you can reduce your carbon footprint, get some exercise, and help the earth!
Check your home for weatherproofing needs
As you’re spring cleaning, check your home for any cracks or gaps through which air might seep in or out of. This will help you save electricity and money this spring and summer. The U.S. Department of Energy suggests keeping your home at 78°F during summer days for energy efficiency. Consider putting up blackout curtains to keep the heat out and switching to LED lightbulbs, which don’t give off as much heat and energy as incandescent bulbs.
Switch to rechargeable batteries
According to Battery Skills, “Disposable batteries are often thrown away after a single use, contributing to the estimated 3 billion batteries discarded annually in the U.S. alone. These used batteries typically end up in landfills, where they can leak harmful chemicals like lead, cadmium, and mercury into the environment. Rechargeable batteries, however, can be used hundreds or even thousands of times. This drastically cuts down the number of batteries needing disposal and eases the strain on landfills.”
Visit a park or community garden
Get outside! Did you know that Knoxville has 94 city parks, 57 county parks, and 14 community gardens? Step outside in one of these beautiful green spaces and enjoy being in nature!
Feed the birds outside your home
Spread some love to your local wildlife! Throw out some birdseed or make a bird feeder. Spend a morning watching the birds and see how many you can identify. Click here for a list of local backyard birds. According to Bird Watching HQ, feeding birds increases their chances of survival, increases bird populations, inspires us to care more about birds, and connects us to nature.
Take a photo of something in nature
As you're getting outside, snap a picture of a blooming flower, a little bee covered in pollen, trees blowing in the wind, or your dog playing in the grass. Find beauty in nature and share it with others!
Have a picnic
Have a picnic with your friends or family in your yard, in a park, or by the beautiful Tennessee River. Soak up the sun, eat a tasty treat, and don’t forget to pick up your trash!
Plant a tree
Plant a tree in your yard or participate in a community tree planting with Trees Knoxville. Check out their upcoming events!
We always need more trees! Trees provide us with fresh air, shade, fruit, and habitats for animals. Make sure to plant trees that are native to Tennessee, such as maple or redbud. Here is a list of big and small native trees.
Remove an invasive species
Native plants are often threatened by aggressive, fast-growing invasive weeds and plants that take nutrients, water, and sunlight. You can help by learning to identify these invasive plants and removing them from your yard or garden. Ijams Weed Warriors remove invasives around Knoxville; sign up to volunteer with them here. Thank you, Weed Warriors, for helping KKB remove invasives at our South Knoxville Community Cleanup and Third Creek Paddle coming up! Sign up to volunteer for those events on our website.
Start a pollinator garden
Plant a garden to support our pollinators! “Just like everything else, pollinators need food, water, and shelter to survive. You can help provide these essentials by planting a wide variety of plants that bloom from early spring into late fall. Be thoughtful when planting and remember that clumps of plants will be easier for pollinators to find than single plants”, says the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Check out this planting for pollinators guide by the UT Institute of Agriculture. Sprinkling some wildflower seeds in your yard works too.
Start a recycling program at your school/work
Starting a recycling program at your school or work is an awesome idea! We would love to help you get that started. Please email education@keepknoxvillebeautiful.org with any questions you may have. If you are doing it at your work, you can refer to our Waste, Recycling, and Composting Guide and check out our Green at Work page as well.
Host a clothing/book swap
Give your clothes and books a second life! This is a great chance to clean out your closet or bookshelf and put on an event with friends. Everyone can bring up to 5-20 items and swap them out for something new. Almost Zero Waste has a great guide for hosting a clothing swap.
Volunteer at a local garden
Get your hands dirty! Volunteer at one of the community gardens or help out your neighbor in their garden.
Make an upcycled craft
At KKB, we make lots of easy recycled crafts with toilet paper rolls, egg cartons, and plastic bottles! There are many different kinds of crafts out there to help reuse and upcycle materials into something new. Maybe make a gift, a decoration for your house, or a planter. Check out these recycled crafts for kids!
Audit your own personal use of plastic
Conducting a waste audit at home is a great way to see how much waste you are creating and how you can reduce it. Reduce your use of single-use plastic by documenting and observing your usage throughout the week. Keep a trash bin in your home just for single-use plastics. At the end of the week, go through your waste and see what changes you can make. Switch to reusable bags, metal straws, reusable cups, and silverware, etc.
Donate to KKB!
Keep Knoxville Beautiful depends on donations from businesses and individuals to accomplish our mission of promoting a cleaner, greener, and more beautiful community. We can’t do what we do without your support, and a gift to Keep Knoxville Beautiful is a gift to your community.