A Few Environmentally-Friendly Tips For The Big Game

Image by Triple Tri / Creative Commons

The big game is almost here and if you are any kind of football fan you’ve probably already figured out who you are watching the game with, where you are going to watch it, what you are eating and most importantly which team you want to win. With all of that figured out, I wanted to give you a few friendly tips to help lower your environmental footprint just a bit. Don’t worry, they are easy to do and won’t cramp your style. You game?

First of all, many people are planning on attending parties, get-togethers or gathering at a local bar/restaurant in order to watch the game. Needless to say, there is going to be a lot of food at most of these places. You will probably have your choice of tasty snacks, drinks and other foods.

Image via Netta S on Pinterest via Facebook.com

That being said, it is important not only to not eat too much, but to not waste food either. Take a look at some of these shocking facts about how much food we waste. My tip is to a) make less, b) send friends home with leftovers so they don’t go to waste, c) compost any other left over food, and d) recycle all bottles and cans.

If you are the host of a game day party, or if you are going to a “potluck” party, then here are some organic recipes that may help you out. I know we all have our favorite, go-to snacks, but there is no need to indulge in 100% fatty foods when you can add in some fresh, yummy, organic alternatives. Feast away!

Now, you may not be aware of this, but for the last 18 years the NFL has been taking steps to “green” the Super Bowl, and this year is no different. Green Mountain Energy Company is going to be the company supplying 15,000 megawatt hours of “renewable energy certificates” designed to help offset some of the electricity (and resultant greenhouse gas emissions) that will be used at seven of the primary NFL venues on game day.

If the NFL can do it, so can you. My first tip is to to carpool wherever you are going. Second, if you don’t have plans for the game, make them – 10 people in one room will use a lot less electricity than those same 10 people being in 10 different rooms watching the game. Third, if you’re planning a big get-together, you and your guests can choose whichever Green Mountain offset product best suits your needs and take steps to offset your environmental footprint for the entire day.

Ditch the disposables. Instead of going out and getting plastic forks, knives, spoons, plates and cups, my tip is to ask all your guests to bring their own. Trust me, it’s not that hard. Besides, if someone forgets, you can also have some reusable supplies on hand to help them out.

Well, that about covers it for now. If you have any other helpful tips, please feel free to drop a comment and share the wealth. For those of you who missed it, here was last year’s green facts and figures surrounding the Super Bowl. Here’s hoping you have a great and biofriendly weekend. Enjoy the game!