10 Sustainable Memorial Day Tips
Memorial Day is a federal holiday that honors those who passed while serving in the U.S. military. The weekend of Memorial Day is also considered the unofficial start of summer.
Friends and family typically come together to have barbecues and do fun outdoor activities. As we enjoy ourselves outdoors or indoors, let us remember to have a sustainable memorial day. Here are some sustainable memorial day tips to honor and protect our planet.
10 Sustainable Memorial Day Tips
1. Reuse previous decorations
Continuing to reuse what you have reduces the waste in our landfills. It also helps reduce CO2 emissions since you’re not buying something new to be shipped to you.
Keep using that American flag you may have bought last year. If you have an artist among your family or friends, create your own Memorial Day-themed decorations.
2. Use plant-based meat
Barbecuing in the summer is practically an American pastime. But using traditional meats like beef, chicken, and sausages isn’t environmentally friendly. Instead, switch them out for plant-based alternatives.
Vegan burgers taste pretty much the same as meat burgers, so your family probably won’t notice the difference. According to Good Food Institute, plant-based meat emits 30% to 90% less greenhouse gas than regular meat.
3. Ditch the plastic water bottles
Instead of handing out plastic water bottles, offer water in a glass water pitcher. You could also use a glass water dispenser.
Plastic water bottles are harmful to the environment in several ways. About 80% end up in landfills, they harm our marine life, and their production contributes to global warming overall.
Find out more reasons to avoid bottled water. Thankfully, switching to glass is an easy switch to make.
4. Use reusable dinnerware
Switch out all the plastic plates, cups, and silverware with reusable ones. Whenever any plastic gets in our waste, it pollutes our soil.
There are much more sustainable materials like glass and bamboo that your dinnerware can be made out of. When all your guests have enjoyed their meals, you can put them in the sink, wash them, and reuse them in the future.
5. Serve locally grown organic vegetables
The benefit of buying local is that you reduce the amount of greenhouse gas emissions released to get the vegetables to you. You also help support local small businesses.
When organic food is grown, there are no pesticides used on them. According to Columbia University, it results in reduced pollution and better soil quality. Additionally, you’re less exposed to harmful chemicals.
6. Stay at home or travel locally
It’s estimated that about 36 million people traveled on Memorial Day last year. While it’s nice to take a vacation somewhere, all of that flying and driving amounts to a lot of carbon emissions in our environment.
If you have a lot of family at home already, you can spend time with them and have your own celebration. You could also choose to get together with extended family or friends that are in your town.
Of course, not everyone has family or friends in town, so if you do have to fly, do it sustainably. Research the most sustainable airlines and choose direct flights when possible.
7. Buy from sustainable brands
Every year there’s always some kind of Memorial Day weekend sale going on for businesses. You’ve probably already started seeing those ads days in advance of the holiday.
If you’re going to buy anything during the holiday weekend, make sure it’s a company that’s a sustainable brand. The companies doing things the right way need our support.
Shop from them now and in the future beyond the holiday weekend. Our collective choice not to shop from brands that aren’t sustainable will hopefully encourage them to change.
8. Practice sustainable grilling
As expressed earlier, barbecuing is a popular activity during this holiday weekend. To grill sustainably, make use of natural lighter fluids or electric charcoal starters.
If possible, use a gas grill instead of a charcoal grill. It produces fewer pollutants and is more energy-efficient.
Food particles and grease built up in your grill can cause smoke to come out of it. Be sure to regularly clean it to prevent this from happening.
Lastly, when making your next grill purchase, make sure you opt for one that’s long-lasting. The fewer companies have to consistently manufacture and ship these products, the less pollution in our environment.
9. Plant a tree
Planting a tree can be a great way to celebrate your Memorial Day. You can use it as a way of honoring a loved one and also help the environment.
Some of the benefits of new trees are that they give off oxygen and they reduce pollution in our waterways. Trees Are Good offers a great guide on how to plant a tree.
10. Have some electronic-free fun
What’s great about this holiday is that more people choose to get outdoors instead of sitting around and watching TV. Make this holiday a time you and your family enjoy the beauty of nature around us.
Instead of heading to the couch for some TV when it’s dark, do something fun, like quizzing yourself with Memorial Day trivia questions. Sit around and talk about life or share stories.
The less electricity you have to use to do it, the more you’re helping to reduce pollution caused by power plants. Keeping these tips in mind will help you have a fun, eco-friendly Memorial Day.
