Looking for a Green Canada Day? Here are 5 Tips to Get You Started!

Posted on June 25, 2017

It's finally summer and that means that Canada Day is right around the corner. The best gift you can give Canada is living more sustainably to protect our environment. So how do you keep green while celebrating Canada Day? Here are five tips from us for a greener Canada Day party!

1. Use reusable cutlery: If possible, use cutlery, plates and serving dishes that you can wash and reuse again. Disposable plastic cutlery and paper plates take energy to produce & ship and end up in our landfills after just one use. You can also now get compostable table settings, and Green Calgary's ecoStore sells them!
 
2. Get creative with the decor: Skip the balloons and cheap decorations and let nature help you add colour to your party! Move your flowerpots to the party location and let your garden be the star attraction. Some great lawn chairs and colourful outdoor cushions can be used all summer long and can add a festive flair to any backyard party!
 
3. Buy local food/beer: Buying local means that there's less energy in transporting your food to your market. And at this time of year, there's plenty of farmer's markets and local produce available in your favourite grocery store (ours is Community Natural Foods). And the Village Brewery offers some great locally brewed beer options...
 
4. Enjoy the trip: Ask your guests to walk, bike or use transit to get to your party. Provide a space for bikes (covered or secure storage like your garage) or provide links for the quickest transit lines that go by your house. Skip the Canada Day traffic jam AND reduce emissions! If driving is the only option, see if you can arrange for some of your guests to carpool.

5. Compost your organics: When you’re all done eating, you don’t have to throw out everything you couldn’t get down. If you separate your food scraps, you can compost your vegetables and fruit into your composter or all of your organics into your bokashi bucket. Your garden will thank you!

Green Calgary would love to hear more about your ideas for greening your Canada Day! Let us know on Facebook or Twitter using the hashtag#GreenCanadaDay and share the fun!