How to Have a Green 4th of July

Independence Day is around the corner, and we are thrilled to pull out our boxes of decorations, buy a crate of beers, pick our meats to barbeque, and prepare a list of movies to watch.

While we prepare for a nationwide celebratory event, we ought to be mindful of how our celebrations are conducted. Are they eco-friendly? 

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Although our use of certain items won’t destroy the planet, the collective consumption of every single person in the country will undoubtedly cause lasting damage. 

Here are some tips for our green friends and those who want to begin their conservationist journey to saving the planet. 

Reuse your party decorations:

We have celebrated several independence day celebrations, and every year the decor remains almost the same. Use the decorations you already have instead of disposing of them every year. 

If you don’t have any decorations, make your own out of paper! What better way to celebrate the occasion than having fun with crafts and being creative.

Avoid disposable utensils:

The usage of disposable cups and plates is so convenient when hosting parties. It makes our tasks a lot easier. But it may not be easy on the environment.

Instead of plastic utensils, opt for the usage of tableware that can be cleaned and reused. It may be tedious to clean them, but it will undoubtedly benefit the environment. And they are an excellent investment!

If purchasing tableware sets and cleaning them is excessive, use paper or bamboo cups, plates, and utensils and have a separate recycling bin for their disposal.

Skip plastic water bottles:

Plastic water bottles are easy to use, but they’re detrimental to the environment. Fill drinking water in Tupperware bottles or glass bottles. This way, you can refill your empty bottles or glass cups without collecting plastic.  

Another way would be to use large containers for water which would minimize plastic water bottles. 

Outdoor celebrations:

Independence Day outdoors is a great way to celebrate the occasion. The warm afternoon breeze, cold beers, and barbeque in your backyard make the celebration all the more memorable. 

And what’s best is you would save on a lot of electricity!

Gatherings call for power usage in every room of the house. You could minimize the consumption of electricity used by hosting the party outdoors. You can amplify the festivities by playing games. Nothing says fun like some family and friends dumb charades, basketball, Jenga, tag, volleyball, badminton, and much more. The list is endless!

This doesn’t just help you with a lower electricity bill but also decreases the impacts that electricity has on the environmental system. 

Sustainable barbeques:

You simply cannot miss out on barbeques on the 4th of July! 

While being fully aware of the emission of carbon dioxide generated from barbeque grills, we do have alternatives that you could use to continue traditions in an eco-friendly manner. 

Switch to using propane or natural gas, which emits only half the carbon dioxide. They tend to be more efficient than a traditional charcoal grill. 

Other alternatives would be the usage of electric or gas grills – they have temperature control. 

Unlike a conventional charcoal grill, it doesn’t continue burning even after you are done with your grilling.

Conclusion

Let’s make this day of independence a lot more mindful by switching our old ways of celebrating with new conservationist ways. 

Try using tableware instead of disposable plastics. Use cloth napkins, compost your food, do not 

litter your surroundings, and use eco-friendly fireworks. 

A small initiative can go a long way, and collectively we can make a big difference.