You know we’re all about supporting our local businesses in Climate City, 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 #BuyLocalBuyGreenAVL 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 bike ride to a local coffee shop, stopping by the farmers market for local produce, or perusing spring fashion at Reciprocity.

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 #BuyLocalBuyGreenAVL. 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.

If you’re anything like City Editor Laura, your house is itching for a good spring cleaning. For an upgrade on sustainable supplies, consider visiting Ware, a zero waste store located downtown. The shop offers bulk, plastic-free purchase options for cleaning elixirs such as laundry powder, glass cleaner, and dish detergent, plus a plethora of essential home goods. Bonus: You can also recycle old containers here.

Fridge running low? Head out to the French Broad Coop to grab some local produce, or shop online with Mother Earth Food. And if you enjoy a great cup of coffee or tea, we recommend signing up for a coffee subscription through South Slope Coffee or Cooperative Coffee Roasters — or purchasing locally harvested teas + tinctures from Soulfull Simone Farm.

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