You know we’re all about supporting our local businesses in San Diego, which is why we’re excited for Earth Day this Fri., April 22. 🌎

This year's Earth Day initiative is centered around investing in our planet — and there are lots of ways buying locally supports sustainability. To promote this goal within our community, we are introducing you to our #BuyLocalBuyGreenSD campaign.

To celebrate the global initiative, we are challenging you — and ourselves — to only shop locally for one week. Or, at least try to swap out a few basic purchases with local options.

What would this look like? Think: Starting your morning with a trip to Communal Coffee, Heartwork Coffee Bar, or Spill the Beans, stopping by the farmers market for local produce, or perusing spring fashion at Sea Hive Station.

Heartwork Coffee Bar in Mission Hills roasts its coffee in Chula Vista + sources all items for the shop locally. | Photo via Monica Garske + SDtoday

We want to follow along with your journey, as well as share ours with you. To do so, we are asking you to share photos of your local purchases, shopping sprees, or other Earth Day activities on social media using the hashtag #BuyLocalBuyGreenSD. Throughout the week, we will spotlight what our community is up to in our newsletters + social feeds.

Don’t have social media but want to participate? Send us your photos via email.

Need some inspiration? Here are some local, sustainable recommendations to switch up your weekly routine.

We don’t know about you, but we’ll be starting our days with a local caffeine boost. Monica + Michael plan to pick up a latte flight (lavender honey + rose vanilla) and a sweet mint cold brew from Communal Coffee in North Park and sit outside and enjoy the warm weather.

Sea Hive Station is all about shopping small and local. | Photo via Monica Garske + SDtoday

Monica just cleaned out her closet for spring, and can’t wait to pop into Bad Madge in South Park to check out gently-used items. Mike is looking to spruce up his place with a new plant, so he’s planning a trip to Green Gardens Nursery in Pacific Beach.

Fridge running low? Head out to the Little Italy Mercato (Wednesdays + Saturdays) to grab some local produce and other goodies — maybe avocados + fresh bread to make your own avocado toast at home. You could also pop into a local food hall like Liberty Public Market to grab lunch from vendors like White Rice, Cecilia’s Taqueria, or Cane Patch Kitchen.

Whatever you choose, remember to share your stories + tag #BuyLocalBuyGreenSD for a chance to be featured.