According to The Center for Biological Diversity, Americans use an average of 365 single use plastic bags per person in a single year. For Earth Day 2021, the Whitley County Cooperative Extension Service banded together in a collaborative effort to provide educational and functional materials to their community. Agents and Staff from all programs contributed items and publications they hoped would be useful to participants, but also stress the importance of being Earth-friendly. For example, the Family and Consumer Sciences program offered reusable cloth tote bags, recipe bookmarks, and publications with green cleaning recipes, among other things. The idea was to provide convenient, easy to reuse items, but also educational items that would inspire clientele to delve more deeply into environmentally minded practices. 

In all, two hundred bags were given out to Whitley Countians on Earth Day 2021. Later, a sampling of these two hundred individuals was taken to assess if the bags, and their contents, were indeed being used. Of the randomly selected sampling, 100% said yes, they had used the reusable cloth tote bags, 88% said yes, they had used their recipe bookmark, and 57% said yes, they had used the green cleaning recipes. 

To Family and Consumer Sciences Agent, Matti Cornelius-Coffey, and Program Assistant, Reagan Weedman, this is a great success. Mrs. Coffey and Mrs. Weedman hope that clients continue using their Earth Day items to eliminate single use plastic usage, enjoy healthier meals, and clean in their homes knowing no harsh chemicals are being used.