You know we’re all about supporting our local businesses in Columbia, 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 #BuyLocalBuyGreenCOLA 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 placing a to-go order at The Devine Cinnamon Roll Deli, stopping by the the SC State Farmers Market for local produce, or perusing spring fashion at Tall Oaks Boutique.

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 #BuyLocalBuyGreenCOLA. 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. David plans to pick up a latte from Drip in Five Points + sit outside and enjoy the warm weather.

Sam just cleaned out her closet for spring, and can’t wait to pop into Noma Warehouse on Sumter Street to check out gently-used items.

Fridge running low? Head out to Soda City market with 150+ vendors to grab some local produce, or Rosewood Market to pick up local artisan + farmer ingredients, produce, meats, and foods. If you enjoy cooking, we recommend buying ingredients from Wingard's Market, carrying local products from 45+ local farmers.

If you opt to dine out, we hear the daily-made bread + butter from DeLucca’s or Pastries from Crust Bakehouse are a must.

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