Key Sustainability Dates UK bactotech

We’ve put together the ultimate calendar of key sustainability dates UK for the whole year! This resource will keep you in the loop about all the eco-friendly happenings taking place near you. If you think there are any dates we should include, feel free to reach out —we’d love to hear from you!

Here are the Key Sustainability Dates UK

For a genuinely sustainable future, it takes everyone working together to make a change. Get involved by bookmarking our handy calendar right now!

JANUARY

FEBRUARY

  • 2nd February – World Wetlands Day is celebrated on February 2nd each year to highlight why wetlands are super important for our planet and to encourage everyone to help protect them.
  • 6th February – Sustainable Wedding Summit – this event unites a committed community of wedding industry professionals who are focused on fostering a more sustainable future. Participants engage in a day filled with motivating keynote speeches, hands-on workshops, and insightful panel discussions, all aimed at providing practical strategies for effecting meaningful change. Topics covered include ethical sourcing, minimizing carbon footprints, developing persuasive sustainability stories, and enhancing biodiversity. The Summit offers essential insights and actionable recommendations for businesses, regardless of their size.
  • 28th February – Skip the Straw Day happens on the fourth Friday of February every year. It’s all about ditching those single-use plastic straws. By 2050, there could be more plastic than fish in the ocean! So, let’s look for eco-friendly options instead of relying on plastic stuff we use today!

MARCH

  • SGD teach in – SGD Teach in – this month-long campaign is all about spreading the word on the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in education. It’s a key initiative to get everyone clued in on how important sustainable development really is.
  • Food Waste Action Week – Food Waste Action Week is a yearly campaign put on by groups like WRAP and Love Food Hate Waste. It’s all about shining a light on food waste and getting people, businesses, and organizations to step up and do something about it.
  • 3rd March – World Wildlife Day is celebrated every year on March 3rd. It’s all about raising awareness for wild animals and plants around the globe and encouraging their protection.
  • 5-6th March – Net Zero Live London – this big conference in London is all about bringing together business leaders from different industries to chat about real-world insights and our teamwork to reduce emissions and hit that Net Zero goal.
  • 10-12th March – 10th Annual Sustainability Week (London) – this big sustainability conference is all about speeding up emission cuts and finding better ways to improve our environmental impact. There will be more than 200 top speakers from the industry sharing their insights.
  • 14th March – International Day for Action for Rivers happens every year on March 14th. It’s all about spreading the word on why rivers matter and how we can take care of them for the long haul. 
  • 18th March – Global Recycling Day is celebrated every year on March 18th to spread the word about why recycling matters and to motivate people, companies, and governments to jump in and support a circular economy.
  • 21st March – International Day of Forests happens every year on March 21st. It’s all about spreading the word on how crucial forests are and encouraging everyone to take care of them and manage them sustainably.

APRIL

  • Earth Month – Earth Month happens every April and is all about making people aware about environmental issues and encouraging everyone to do their part for the planet. This month-long celebration features all kinds of events and activities, like community cleanups, educational programs, and sustainability projects.
  • 22nd April – Earth Day is all about raising awareness for the environment and getting people to step up and help out our planet. This means spreading the word on sustainable habits like cutting down on waste, saving energy and natural resources, and backing renewable energy options.
  • 30th April – Stop Food Waste Day aims to show how food waste affects our wallets, communities, and the planet. It also pushes everyone—people, businesses, and governments—to jump in and help cut down on waste.

MAY

  • No Mow May – No Mow May – a month where people with gardens and yards are encouraged to hold off on mowing. The goal is to let flowers blossom for our pollinator buddies like bees and butterflies.
  • 16th May – Love a Tree Day – every year, we celebrate this day to appreciate all the happiness trees bring into our lives. Whether it’s enjoying the food and oxygen they provide or relaxing with a good book in their shade, trees are a big part of what makes life enjoyable.
  • 20th May – World Bee Day is all about giving a shoutout to how important bees are for keeping our planet buzzing with biodiversity, food security, and a strong economy. Plus, it’s a great chance to push for saving and using bees and other pollinators in a smart way.
  • 22nd May – International day of Biodiversity is celebrated every year on May 22nd. It’s all about spreading the word on why biodiversity matters and encouraging everyone to take care of our planet’s amazing variety of life.

JUNE

  • 30 Days Wild – 30 Days Wild – this month-long campaign by The Wildlife Trust is all about getting wild every day in June. Whether you’re hitting the trails for a nature hike or enjoying breakfast surrounded by wildlife, there’s no strict plan—how you choose to join in is totally up to you!
  • 5th June – World Environment Day – the aim of the day is to spread the word about how crucial it is to protect our environment and to motivate people, groups, and governments to step up their game in cutting down their environmental footprint, supporting sustainability, and safeguarding the planet for those who come after us.
  • 7-15th June – The Great Big Green Week is one of the biggest events in the UK focused on nature and the environment. It unites communities to step up and fight against climate change.
  • 10-16th June – World Bike Week happens every June and is all about promoting cycling as a fun and eco-friendly way to get around. During this week-long celebration, there are tons of activities and initiatives to inspire people to hop on their bikes for commuting, staying fit, and checking out their neighborhoods.
  • 16th June – World Refill Day aims to get people and businesses to switch to refillable and reusable options instead of relying on single-use plastic stuff like water bottles, coffee cups, and food containers.
  • 17th June – World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought is all about spreading the word on desertification and droughts. Droughts are a major issue caused by desertification. Studies say that by 2050, it could affect 75% of people. We really need to get on top of this trend now.
  • 21-29th June – London Climate Action Week gets everyone together to chat about and tackle climate change issues.
  • 24-25th June – Reset Connect – this free event is one of the top sustainability and green investment gatherings in the UK. It’s a perfect chance to catch business leaders chatting about climate change and sustainability from a business angle. Plus, it’s happening during London Climate Action Week (no need to travel to London twice)!

JULY

  • Plastic Free July – Plastic Free July is all about getting people to think about how plastic pollution affects our planet. This campaign encourages everyone—individuals, businesses, and communities—to step up and cut back on single-use plastics.
  • 2-3rd July – The Groundswell Festival is a great place for farmers, growers, or anyone into food production and the environment to dive into the theory and hands-on stuff about regenerative farming systems. And we’ll be there this year, are you coming too?
key sustainability dates UK Groundswell
  • 3rd July – International Plastic Bag Free Day – celebrated every July 3rd, is all about shining a light on the negative effects of single-use plastic bags on our planet. Even though we only use these bags for about 20 minutes, they can hang around for up to 1000 years before breaking down.
  • 5-11th July – Net-Zero Week is a big deal when it comes to tackling net zero goals. It’s basically the world’s way of fighting climate change. On June 27, 2019, the UK made history by being the first major economy to pass laws aimed at stopping its role in climate change.
  • 27th July – National Tree Day is a chance for people, neighborhoods, and groups to jump in and do stuff like planting trees, taking care of the ones we have, and finding out why trees are awesome for the planet and our communities.

AUGUST

  • 12-18th August – National Allotments Week is all about highlighting how awesome allotment gardening can be and getting people to see how important these spaces are for communities and the environment. It was first put together by the National Allotment Society.

SEPTEMBER

  • Recycle Week – Recycle Now’s Recycle Week is one of the biggest campaigns in the UK that’s all about sustainability. It’s all about getting people to recycle the right way. For the last few years, this event has been happening from September to October.
  • Organic September – Soil Association’s Organic September is all about spreading the word and getting people excited about organic farming and why eating organic stuff is awesome.
  • Second Hand September – Second Hand September – this month-long event kicked off by Oxfam is all about getting people to shop secondhand. The aim is to cut down on waste and promote a more eco-friendly lifestyle.
  • 1-5th September – Zero Waste Week During this week, people are invited to step up and cut down on waste in their everyday routines, like steering clear of single-use plastic, composting leftovers, or picking items with less packaging.
  • 20th September – World Clean-Up Day – on that day, people everywhere team up to pick up trash in their neighborhoods, whether it’s on the streets, in parks, or at the beach. This event is all about spreading the word on why cutting down on waste and managing it right is super important. They’re aiming to get 5% of the global population involved to spark some real change in how we handle waste.
  • 22nd September – Car Free Day is all about getting drivers to try out greener ways to get around instead of their usual rides. Whether it’s biking to work or sharing a car with friends, it’s totally up to you what alternatives you want to pick instead of driving.
  • 22nd September – 5th October – Fairtrade Fortnight is a yearly thing that happens in lots of countries to shine a light on the Fairtrade movement. During this time, there are all sorts of fun activities and events like coffee mornings, fashion shows, exhibitions, and movie screenings to get people talking about Fairtrade.
  • 29th September – International Day of Awareness on Food Loss and Waste Reduction – this United Nations day is all about shining a light on how crucial it is to pay attention to food loss. Research shows that about 33% of all food produced globally ends up wasted each year. We really need to address this issue, especially since roughly 10% of people around the world go to bed hungry on a regular basis.

OCTOBER

  • Unblocktober – Unblocktober – a month to save our drains and oceans. Unblocktober is a month-long campaign in the UK that wants to teach everyone about proper drain and sewer care. It’s super important because blocked drains and sewers can cause nasty waste spills, pollution, and extra repair costs.
  • 1st October – World Vegetarian Day is all about cheering on the vegetarian way of life and highlighting how it’s great for your health and the Earth. Did you know that raising livestock contributes to more than 10% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions?
  • 4th October – No Disposable Cup Day happens every year on October 4th to get people in the UK to ditch those disposable cups. Since the UK is a major user of these cups, it’s super important for us to look for more eco-friendly options in our daily lives.
  • 14th October – International E-Waste Day is an annual event happening in October that aims to highlight the environmental problems linked to e-waste (also called WEEE Waste) and how to manage it responsibly.
  • 16th October – World Food Day is all about shining a light on hunger and poverty, plus encouraging food security and sustainable farming.

NOVEMBER

  • UN Climate Conference – UN Climate Conference, or COP for short, is one of the top gatherings out there for tackling climate change. It pulls in world leaders to brainstorm solutions and set some sustainability goals.
  • National Tree Week – National Tree Week is all about highlighting how crucial trees are for fresh air, wildlife homes, and keeping carbon in check. Plus, it gets people excited about planting and taking care of trees in their own neighborhoods.
  • 28th November – Buy Nothing Day is observed globally to inspire people to skip shopping for a day and think about how consumerism affects our planet through all that buying.

DECEMBER

  • Carbon Literacy Action Day – Carbon Literacy Action Day – for the last few years, people have been celebrating this day during the winter to get everyone to learn about Carbon Literacy and see how our actions affect the planet. It’s one of the biggest climate education events out there!
  • 4th December – World Wildlife Conservation Day – this WWF event is all about highlighting why wildlife conservation matters. Right now, about a million species of animals and plants are at risk of disappearing. We really need to team up and take action to safeguard our planet’s biodiversity!
  • 5th December – World Soil Day – this United Nations event is all about highlighting how crucial soil is for our survival. Soil and water are key to life, and more than 95% of our food comes from these two vital resources.