National Honey Bee Day 2019
We are buzzing with excitement! August 17 marks National Honey Bee Day, the awareness day to celebrate honey bees and their contribution to the maintenance of our global ecosystem and our everyday lives. Honey bees produce pollen, beeswax, and other byproducts resulting in items we regularly use like including skincare products, candles, and approximately one-third of the food we eat.
TerraCycle recognizes the importance of protecting these species for future generations, which can be accomplished through education and raising awareness. In honor of this National Honey Bee Day and every day beyond, here are some easy ways to help you do your part to help save the bees!
Take the Pledge to Stop Using Pesticides
Pesticides are a significant contributor to the collapse of pollinator species. Take the Earth Day Network’s Pesticide Pledge and commit to a pesticide-free lifestyle by reducing the number of harmful chemicals you use. Some ways you can do this is by purchasing organic produce that is grown locally or by using non-toxic methods for controlling insects at home and in your garden.
Support Brands that Support Bees
Businesses can be more powerful than politics in driving change, and you have the power to support the ones doing good. For example, Burt’s Bees® focuses on establishing pollinator habitats. They provide bees with the type of plants that are necessary to help them stay healthy in the face of numerous threats. These threats include monocrop agriculture, land-use changes (cement, grass, and fewer flowers), climate change, and pests. Burt’s Bees® is also working to reduce pollution in the environment, which also contributes to the sustainment of bees.
We’ve partnered with Burt’s Bees to create a free recycling program for their line of branded personal care, lip care, and beauty care packaging.
Shop Locally for Groceries
Pollination from honey bees and other insects accounts for one-third of our food in the U.S., including 130 fruits and vegetables. By buying organic produce from your hometown farmer’s market, you can forgo pesticides entirely, even ones containing neonicotinoids, an insecticide resembling nicotine that is harmful to bees.
Shopping locally also reduces transportation by motor vehicle for both mass-produced food suppliers and consumers. This reduces carbon emissions and ultimately helps preserve the bees’ habitats.
Upgrade Your Garden
More than 85% of flowering plants require insects for pollination, which allows for the production of fruit and seed. Create a pollinator habitat in your garden by planting native forbs, wildflowers, and legumes selected by the Plant Materials Program. The plants listed are useful in creating habitats for butterflies, bees, hummingbirds, and other essential pollinators.
TerraCycle’s global headquarters has a “cork-yard” garden with some of these particular flowers that help bees. You can also join the Million Pollinator Garden Challenge by certifying your yard with the National Wildlife Federation.
Eat More Honey
Support beekeepers by buying fresh honey from your local farmer’s market. Beekeepers help sustain these pollinators, so supporting their business will ultimately keep more bees around. Buying locally will ensure that you know precisely where the honey comes from. You can find out what flowers the bees forage on, the additives they use (if any), and whether or not the honey has been filtered.
Plus, consuming local honey can have added benefits if you suffer from pollen allergies. Over time you may become less sensitive to the local pollen, resulting in fewer seasonal allergy symptoms.
Get Involved
There are many organizations, such as The Honey Bee Conservancy and Bee Mission, that work tirelessly to save the honey bees. Read more about some of the top organizations and initiatives helping to protect the bees. And remember to stay educated and active beyond National Honey Bee Day.