The Fourth of July is one of the most celebrated periods of our America culture. It is a time when we celebrate all that our country has been through in order to enjoy the great freedoms we have as a nation. This is a time of gathering with family and friends while signaling the official kick-off to the much-deserved summer time that we cherish so much.
While this conjures up much excitement and joy, it is also a time to acknowledge the beauty of our nation by choosing to be responsible with our festivities in a way that respects the environment of our country and world.
Today I will share some ideas with you on ways you can keep your Fourth of July plans as low impact and if at all possible, No-impact.
Use a Green Charcoal for Grilling or A Charcoal Alternative
There is perhaps nothing more Fourth of July than the great American BBQ tradition. People tend to gather together to celebrate this occasion outdoors. BBQs make for a lovely day, however, when hosting people in the backyard, it’s important to make sure that there are no pests in the lawn. To be sure of this, it might be worth visiting https://www.pestcontrolexperts.com/ to get them to remove any pests that may be outdoors. Because it is a tradition, it is easy for us to overlook the impact that conventional charcoal has on our environment. Since so many people will be grilling, it is worth the time to consider some charcoal alternatives.
1.One easy alternative is a natural instant lighting natural charcoal. This option is made from hardwood and requires no starter fluid. It also has no fillers or petroleum added which makes this a great alternative for those looking for a quick and easy solution while still having the fire grilling experience.
2. A more die-hard option is to use coconut shells to run your fire. This is a great option because coconuts burn well, emit no dangerous chemicals, and do not impact the food chain.
If you cannot get a natural charcoal or coconut shells, another option would be to use a gas grill. This is not the best alternative because gas is a non-renewable resource, but it is better than conventional charcoal. Just make sure you’re all up to date with your fire safety, especially if you have young kids around the flames. Consider using left/right fire exit signage if you’re in a relatively enclosed space to ensure everyone knows where to go should anything go wrong.
Avoid Using Plastic and Styrofoam
One of the easiest things we can do to lessen our environmental impact during this time is to avoid using plastic. If you are preparing foods to take away with you, use reusable containers. For plates, there are many biodegradable options that can be used.
The Fourth of July is also biggest beer drinking day of the year. This often means many plastic cups will be used. Consider drinking bottled beer that can be recycled or brought back to the store after use. Many beers require a deposit on their bottles to encourage buyers to return them.
Consume Only Locally Produced Foods
There are so many reasons to only consume local foods during the holiday and summer season. The easy ones are quality and taste, but the important ones center around the impact that non-local meat and produce create from the transport of the food and the impact that factory farms have through their use of excessive amounts of water and pesticides. Keep it local this year.
Take it Easy on The Fireworks
We all love fireworks but we also hate to clean up the mess they make when we are done. This year is a great time to be conservative with our personal firework usage in order to keep the cleanup manageable. Another idea is to not use fireworks at all. The logic behind this is that there will be a big fireworks display everywhere. Enjoy it while not contributing any unnecessary waste.
If we all can take these suggestions into consideration we can make this Fourth of July extremely low and maybe even No-Impact this year. Enjoy and be safe.