Earth Day 2018 is going to be this Sunday, April 22. Universities and businesses all across the country will be celebrating Earth Day 2018, with various events planned to boost eco-sustainability awareness and education.

As the warm weather creeps closer, those campgrounds and trails start beckoning. But planning for outdoor season isn’t just a matter of making sure there’s enough room for tents, bear lockers are shipshape and trails are maintained.

Today, April 22nd, marks the 45th anniversary of Earth Day! Do you remember what you were doing when Earth Day began in 1970? Earth Day in 1970 "capitalized on the emerging consciousness, channeling the energy of the anti-war protest movement and putting environmental concerns front and center", stated Earth Day.org. Fast forward 45 years and what you have today, is a global movement recognizing the importance of Mother Nature, the fight for a clean environment and showing respect for the conservation of our planet. Earth Day is a wonderful time to celebrate our beloved planet and raise awareness of the need to respect, protect and love it. Not only is it celebrated in the United States, it's now become one of the most nationally recognized events in the world.

Have you ever thought that oil prices and recycling could have a connection? Since recent oil prices have significantly dropped, it's putting a crunch on the recycling industry. As crude oil prices continue to crash, the result makes it cheaper for plastic companies to use new or virgin materials versus the goods you can recycle. Recycled plastics prices are extremely low, and for some waste management companies or local government affiliates, they are now having to pay to have their materials removed.

Vermont once again made the news this week, as non-profit organization Call2Recycle, North America's first and largest battery stewardship program will submit to Vermont regulators, a plan for the collection and recycling of single-use batteries. The non-profit group announced "it had been selected by battery producers to represent them in complying with the nation's first mandatory take-back law for single-use batteries."