Earth Day 2022 at Hudson Yards
Find out what’s next in sustainability solutions!
Join us at Earth Day 2022 at Hudson Yards presented by Volkswagen to learn about sustainable transportation, fashion, energy, and design!
Earth Day Initiative is excited to bring a focus on sustainability solutions to Hudson Yards in partnership with Volkswagen this spring. The climate community and the broader public are clamoring to see the path forward on tackling climate change and our environmental challenge. Earth Day Initiative wants to illustrate that path by highlighting some of the solutions being developed in sectors like transportation, energy, and fashion. We invite attendees to join the climate conversation and learn what they can do in their own lives to become part of the solution. The event will include a three-day fair featuring environmental nonprofits, sustainable businesses, and interactive installations. A three-day line-up on the stage will feature talks and performances on a range of sustainability topics.
Location: the southeast corner of the Vessel plaza at Hudson Yards.
Earth Day 2022 at
Hudson Yards presented by:
Exhibitor Fair
Friday, April 22
11 am to 6 pm
Saturday, April 23
11 am to 6 pm
Sunday, April 24
12 pm to 6 pm
Earth Day Initiative connects supporters to the broad range of things you can do in your own life and community to be part of the sustainability solution. Stop by to check out their Earth Day reading list of fiction, nonfiction, and kids’ books about the environment and climate change!
Volkswagen is committed to electrifying its fleet and moving toward the goal of a carbon-neutral business, including its products, by 2050. This transition will be largely powered by EVs and battery packs assembled in the US, by US workers. Volkswagen will have their electric SUV, the ID.4, and the newly debuted electric version of the iconic Volkswagen Microbus, the ID. Buzz for attendees to experience in person. Earth Day 2022 at Hudson Yards will be the first time the general public will be able see the ID. Buzz in NYC! Check out Volkswagen CEO Scott Keogh’s conversation with Earth Day Initiative board member Alysia Reiner here.
Blinded by Color Project makes genderless resortwear collections naturally dyed and artisanally co-created at demand in small batches that strive to be one with nature.
Con Edison provides energy-saving tips and education resources that will come in handy for staying sustainable at home.
Ecomadic is a curated marketplace for local and sustainable travel.
Gen E is made up of micro-philanthropists for the planet, donating the spare change from every purchase to environmental nonprofits fighting climate change.
Grouphug Solar makes an easy-to-install, stylish window solar panel that charges your devices with the power of the sun.
Qaytu is a Peruvian contemporary sweater brand working responsibly for a better world.
Interactive Installations
Zero-Waste Weaving Installation
Friday, April 22
11 am to 6 pm
Saturday, April 23
11 am to 6 pm
Come by and learn about the basics of sustainability with a zero-waste weaving activity with Weaving Hand, a femme, Filipinx-run weaving studio. Throughout the day, attendees will take part in a mass zero-waste kid-friendly weaving activity.
Clothing Swap Shop
Sunday, April 24
12 pm to 3 pm
Celebrate Earth Day by going circular with Global Fashion Exchange! Reuse is a big piece of the sustainability solution going forward and we're organizing a clothing swap so you can get involved.
Time: Check in with the Global Fashion Exchange team at any time between 12 am to 1 pm to drop your items. The swap then opens promptly at 1 pm and goes until 3 pm.
How it works: Bring great items from your own closet that maybe just aren't your favorites anymore and you'll get a token for each item you bring that's accepted. Then redeem that token for another item from the swap shop. The tokens are your currency for the swap as the swap is 1-to-1 exchange.
What to bring: We encourage you to bring up to five items fit for giving. Garments and accessories are quality-screened to ensure a quality experience. The best items to swap are good quality garments that you once loved but are no longer your favorites or perhaps no longer fit you perfectly. This way, you’re giving them a second life with someone new who will treasure them. Whatever you swap, please make sure you are emotionally detached from the item, as once it has been swapped you cannot change your mind and any items left over go to charity. If your items are not suitable for swapping you can either take them back or leave with us to recycle.
Earth Day 2022 Stage at Hudson Yards Program
Friday, April 22 - Sunday, April 24
Programming on the Earth Day stage at Hudson Yards from April 22 to 24 will include performances like “A New Generation Sings for Sustainability: Young Singers Lift Their Voices in Solidarity with Our Earth,” coordinated by Cassie Okenka (School of Rock, Wicked) and discussions of the latest trends in sustainable fashion and the latest technology in green building design. The stage will also feature a stream of the Earth Day 2022 Virtual Stage, which features conversations with people like actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Representatives Adam Schiff and Pramila Jayapal, 350.org founder Bill McKibben, and the former President of Ireland and climate activist Mary Robinson.
And check out our virtual stage conversation with Volkswagen CEO Scott Keogh and Earth Day Initiative board member Alysia Reiner here.
See the detailed schedule below!
Friday, April 22
RSVP here.
3:00 PM : Yurac Fiedler, Mireia Lopez + moderated by Patrick Duffy: Back To The Land: How fashion can help the planet with Qaytu Peru + Blinded by Color Project
Indigenous design is rooted in sustainability. Whether it’s contemporary or traditional works, Indigenous artists in North America today approach their creation process in the same way that their ancestors did: with a mutual respect for nature and the world that they live in. Learn more about how designers, indigenous communities and artisans can come together to make a positive impact on people and planet.
3:30 PM: Alissa Westervelt, Julia Raskin + moderated by Patrick Duffy: Innovating Through Fashion’s Waste Issue
Waste is an issue, and the fashion industry is a large contributor to the problem. The sanitation and fashion industries come together creating an experience that educates through circular design principles and fun. Learn about how "ReFashion Week" approaches the issues in an engaging and impactful way.
4:00 PM: Musical performance: A New Generation Sings for Sustainability: Young Singers Lift Their Voices in Solidarity with Our Earth, coordinated by Cassie Okenka (School of Rock, Wicked) and hosted by Rebbekah Vega-Romero
5:15 PM: The Power of an All-Electric Passive House with Ryan Lobello of Handel Architects
Saturday, April 23
RSVP here.
12:00 PM: Terell McCollum, Mahdiyyah Muhammad + moderated by Patrick Duffy: ReFashion Week New-Gen Fashion Talents with ReFashion Week Winners
Meet the winners of ReFashion Week: ReFashion Week NYC is a week of sustainable fashion and textile upcycling and recycling with a fashion show that showcased the future of fashion through a circular lens. Join us as we explore the future of fashion through the visionary talent of these changemakers.
12:30 PM: Adam Baruchowitz moderated by Patrick Duffy: Fashion’s Waste Problem
Wearable Collections is a go-to solution for unwanted clothing, shoes and textiles. Since 2004, they have been creating accessible hubs for clothing collection in NYC. Keeping over 95% of what we collect out of the landfill, giving millions of clothing items a second life. Join us and learn about the impacts of the fashion industry waste and how to be a responsible consumer.
12:45 PM: Isaias Hernandez moderated by Patrick Duffy: Future Of Food with @queerbrownvegan
Driven by growing environmental awareness, ethical concerns, and health reasons, consumers are choosing plant-based more than ever before—and this shift in appetite is quickly reflecting on industry market data. What does this mean for our future? Join us as we explore how veganism and choosing plant based plates, is good for your health, and the health of the planet.
1:00 PM: Musical performance: rFUTURE NYC - Voices of the Next Generation
Sunday, April 24
RSVP here.
3:00 PM: Alex Dabagh moderated by Patrick Duffy: Solutionaries: New Yorkers Taking Action
Get to know Alex Dabagh. For him, sustainability is personal and it's a way of evolving his intergenerational bag factory right here in the garment district of NYC. They partner with organizations (like schools) that organizing plastic bag drives. These locally sourced materials are organized by color then cut into strips and every bag is woven and sewn by hand creating a closed loop carbon negative process right here in NYC. Companies and celebs are taking notice and they have made custom bags for Beyond Meat and Miranda Kerr.
3:15 PM: Amber Lasciak moderated by Patrick Duffy: @ Redustudios - What is the inspiration to build out a closed loop luxury furniture and design studio right here in Red Hook. What is the process of rescuing materials? Which come first? the materials or the design?
Let's talk about process. ReduStudios rescues construction materials from local manufacturers and builders before they go to landfill. They reimagine and hand craft them into unique pieces of utility and style. How does this minority woman owned company based in Red Hook Brooklyn maximize their local supply chain and support a circular economy. FInd out what founder Amber Lasciak means when she states ’Waste is a mentality’.
3:30 PM: Anna Sacks moderated by Patrick Duffy: @The Trashwalker Meet the woman rifling through New York’s garbage – exposing the city’s excesses and documenting her ‘trash walks’ on social media
@Thetrashwalker is shining a light on the everyday shame and indignity of producing and living with so much waste. She is utilizing the power of social media for social change. Anna has gone viral for exposing businesses of all sizes for overbuying and 'slash and trash' practices. Let's find out how she's progressing from picking trash to building constituencies and creating effective legislation
4:00 PM: Lily Turner + Molly Oliver: Greening Your Space With Flora and Fauna
Portable living green walls for healthy and beautiful homes, greening your space with sustainable flora & fauna.
4:30 PM: Rachel Ceruti, Andrea Reyes, Carla Farina + Angela Yvonne: Organizations Making Change: How Coalition Building Takes a Movement Forward
How organizations are building awareness through programs and events.
5:00 PM: RillyRil moderated by Patrick Duffy: Hip Hop’s Ability to Influence Gen Z Culture
The power of music to change hearts and minds. RillyRil, is a singer, rapper, songwriter, event coordinator. Infusing both Afro-futurism and animation into her work, RillyRil brings an entirely new youthful element to the entertainment space. Highlighting the complexities of being a teenager in a digital world, Jaleh's art aims to showcase youth empowerment on a grand scale.
5:15 PM: Tina Hedges moderated by Patrick Duffy: What Is Clean Beauty And Why Is It Important?
What should we be looking for in a clean product?
5:30 PM: Jaclyn Yost: Solutionaries: Navigating Sustainable Travel with Jaclyn Yost Moderated by Patrick Duffy
Conscious and fun travel that supports people and planet. Jaclyn Yost is a self-proclaimed "Eco-Nomad", she has lived in various parts of the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong and has journeyed to 41 countries (so far)! She is passionate about spreading awareness on sustainable tourism and how to be a more responsible tourist.