How to Go Green on St. Patrick’s Day

Posted on Mar 9, 2012 in Sustainable Living & Sustainable Lifestyle by Matthew Speer 0 Comments

The St. Patrick’s Day holiday often is associated with shamrocks and leprechauns though the constant theme is the color green. On a day that friends and family have the unwritten right to pinch you, should you forget to wear green, we challenge you to find a better time to think green. While St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated with parades, parties and family activities, the intended meaning is a day of spiritual renewal. Why not touch upon the intended meaning by giving back a little to Mother Nature while partying the night away with good friends and family. Here are a few suggestions how to green up your St. Patrick’s Day this year.

A Little Green Beer While Going Green

We did not say that you couldn’t have fun while greening up your holiday, so let’s start with how to make the sustainable choice when it comes to beer. When hitting the bars, order draft beer, in most cases the bar will use reusable glasses, reducing waste from hundreds of bottles, aluminum cans and packaging material. In addition, supporting local breweries will help the local economy and reduce the shipping impact of beers produced halfway across the country, or even the world. Some local breweries offer reusable bottles or glass jugs called “growlers” which can be refilled over and over again, further reducing the environmental impact. Lastly support green breweries; they have taken an extra step to lessen their carbon footprint. A brewer working to go green is Anheuser Busch; they recycle over 99 percent of the solid waste produced and turned contaminated wastewater into fuel for 10 breweries.

Where Do All the Party Hats and Noise Makers Go?

Now that we showed you how to enjoy a little beer with a little less guilt, you may start to have impaired judgment; this can lead to wearing cheap plastic party gear and using loud noise makers. We are not here to poke fun at how you look in those leprechaun hats or blinking clover necklaces, even though you look pretty silly. No, our job is to point out that all that party gear will likely end up in the local landfill. Think about all that pollution, just so you could look silly – sorry, did not mean to judge. I think we have made the point, skip the cheesy decorations or at least reuse or recycle them.

Find St. Patrick’s Day Gear on Amazon.com

This St. Patrick’s Day do your part and live green. Enjoy your friends and family, taking a moment to reflect on how you can help Mother Nature, even if it means drinking from a local brewery. Maybe with a little luck of the Irish we will come away with a greener planet, helping each of us embrace a sustainable living.

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