Independence Day is full of parties, picnics, and parades to celebrate America. It’s the perfect time to celebrate the environment too by adding some GREEN to your RED, WHITE & BLUE festivities.

Tips for an eco-friendly 4th of July

Repurpose decorations.

Buying new decorations instead of reusing or repurposing old ones can create a lot of waste – material wise and money wise! For the Fourth of July, consider reusing Christmas décor. Place red, white, and blue bulb ornaments in a glass bowl or vase to use as a centerpiece. Festive foods also make a great decoration, such as bowls strawberries and blueberries, and leave behind no waste when you have hungry guests!

Here’s a list of eco-friendly crafts from Crafting Green World.

Avoid charcoal grills.

Grilling is a huge contributor to air pollution during sunny summer months. On Independence Day, with nearly 60 million people grilling burgers and hot dogs, an estimated 225,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide are emitted. If possible, use electric or propane grills, which are cleaner than charcoal grills. You can also try serving up some veggie or bean burgers to further reduce your carbon footprint!

Consider a keg.

If you’re throwing a party, an easy way to reduce waste is to buy a keg instead of multiple cases of beer! Bonus points go to those who provide reusable cups for their guests. Cheers to an eco-friendly 4th of July!

Pass on personal fireworks.

With each explosion, these pretty polluters contribute a great amount of harmful chemicals and smoke into our atmosphere. And often times we forget that what goes up must come down. Fireworks that fall to the ground contain propellant and colorant residue, which can make their way into lakes and rivers. Before buying your own fireworks, consider checking out a community display. If you need to put on a personal light show, biodegradable fireworks are a great alternative!