Sustaina-Bowl Sunday

So, the Big Game is this Sunday. If you live in Louisiana and are like me, you haven't really been following playoffs this season. Actually, if you're me, you kiiiind of stopped watching around Week 9 of regular season. Sorry.

However, I do love the celebration and hype around the the final game of the season. Side ramble: From my years in advertising, I've learned that you cannot say the name of the game if you don't shell out $$$ to the NFL. I've written many a radio spot dancing around the name. I get it, because it's copyrighted and all, but it almost looks more ridiculous to see "the Big Game" in ads and marketing emails. Like, it's almost going against your brand. Silly? Yes. Am I still going to avoid it even in my peon blog? OF COURSE. I don't have enough money to get sued by the NFL.

So. Broncos vs. Panthers. Who are you rooting for?

While I might secretly be going for the Panthers, what I'm really rooting for is sustainability!

And hey, this year's match-up is held in one of my favorite cities, the hippie treehugging San Francisco!

Photo credit: Susty Party

Sustainable Parties

Whether you are having friends over, chilling at home, or heading out to a bar, you can minimize trash while cheering for your favorite team.

• Avoid single-use by using regular dinnerware, silverware and drinkware. Go even further with cloth napkins.
• If you need to use disposable dinnerware, choose eco-friendly, biodegradable and compostable materials instead of styrofoam or plastic. Bagasse and wheat straw are two great plant-based materials, and you can find these in stores. (Try Vitamins Plus or Whole Foods in Lafayette.)
• Put out a dedicated trash can for recyclable materials, aka beer bottles, beer cans, wine bottles and rinsed queso jars.
• Use paper towels and napkins made with recycled materials.
• Don't go out and spend money on single-use decorations!
• Shop local for your food!
• If you're going to a friend's, bring your dish in a reusable container, and if you get to bring leftovers home, use the same dish. 
• Bring drinks in recyclable containers and bring your own drinking glass (you can bring a kanteen or insulated bottle to a daiquiri shop and ask them to fill it!)
• If the party you're attending doesn't have a recycling bin inside or outside, collect your recyclables and bring them home. 
• Heading out to the bar? Carpool with your friends or call Uber.

Over in San Francisco...

The SB50 Host Committee has a goal of making the event “Net Positive”. They're focusing on:

• Reducing impact on climate change
• Using resources and materials responsibly
• Inspiring fans to embrace sustainability personally
• Leaving a positive legacy for the Bay Area

A few examples they'll work toward these goals are: eliminating single-use plastic in Super Bowl City and providing water bottle-filling stations (Check out the photo of the stations! I kind of love them.) One of my favorite eco-brands, Klean Kanteen, is the official sustainability partner of the Host Committee. They're donating 12,000 bottles to help offset those single-use cups.

In addition, San Francisco has many public recycling and composting bins available.

One of the collaborators on the project, the 50 Fund, will encourage fans to decide how $200,000 from the Sustainable Environments Game Changer Grant will be distributed to Bay Area environmental nonprofits. Fans can also pledge to take “Net Positive” actions on-line at the Host Committee website www.sfbaysuperbowl.com.

Photo credit: Klean Kanteen

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Eco-friendly Holiday Decoratin' and Entertainin'

Now that we've got buying and wrapping gifts out of the way, let's talk holiday decorations and entertaining!

Whatever style decor you love, you can adapt to be eco-friendly. From modern to rustic to minimalist, deck your halls with sustainable holly!

Decorating

• For your interior and exterior lights, go LED. They use less energy, helping to lessen the impact on your utility bill when you're already spending extra money on food and gifts. LEDs also keep their cool better than conventional lights, making your tree less of a fire hazard. You can also find decorative solar-powered outdoor lights, which are great if you don't have an exterior outlet.

• Use natural elements instead of glitter, styrofoam and other shiny stuffs to decorate. Send the kids out to pick up small sticks and twigs in the yard, and use them in vases. They pull off a glamorous rustic feel with a simple coat of metallic spray paint.
  
  If you have a real Christmas tree, use the trimmed branches (or trim your own out of the back - no one will know!) and add them to floral arrangements or table centerpieces.
  
  Wine corks can be used for making your own ornaments, garland or miniature trees!
• Choose soy wax candles in holiday smells for a cleaner, paraffin-free burn.
• Better Homes and Gardens has 13 ideas for mason jar holiday crafts, from decorations to gifts. But instead of buying mason jars, simply use clean, empty food jars. Soak the jars to loosen the glue, then scrub the label off. Good as new-ish!
• A really fun craft for children, and okay, adults too, is making paper snowflakes. Make them greener by using scrap printer paper, newspaper, paper shopping bags or even junk mail.
• Vintage Christmas decorations are seriously some of my favorites. I've already laid claim to some of my parents', including my father's set of vintage ornaments from the late 70s or early 80s. They've already given me a musical house that is just about as old as I am. By keeping decorations for many years, or scoring vintage decorations, you're keeping unique items out of landfills.
• Use natural or recycled fabrics for your tree skirt. Burlap adds that rustic touch. Solid-colored old flat bed sheets work great and give an organic, bunched-up look. When I had smaller Christmas trees in my old apartments, I used a large piece of scrap red fabric for a skirt.

Even more decorating ideas, because I couldn't possibly list them all:

• Huffington Post, Merry Eco-Christmas
• Inhabitat, How to Green Your Holidays with Eco-Friendly Christmas Decor

Entertaining

If you're having a holiday gathering, the most eco-friendly dinnerware is the kind you use normally. Make sure your dishwasher is empty before the party starts! Alternatively, you can go a little more casual by using melamine plates and bowls and acrylic drink glasses, even though the materials are not the greatest. They are at least reusable and work well in a party setting. And there are BPA-free options, which makes them better for children especially.

But if you're having a large gathering and choose the disposable route, look for plates and bowls made of recycled or compostable material instead of styrofoam, which cannot be recycled and is not biodegradable. Wheat straw, plant-based, and bagasse are all sustainable and functional options.

Susty Party's line of compostable products can be found on their website or at Whole Foods. You can also find (less festive) biodegradeable plates and bowls at Drug Emporium.

Eco Cajun friend Kari kicked off her holiday season by camping with friends and family for Thanksgiving. For their dinner, she picked up Susty Party plates and bowls at Whole Foods, chose bamboo utensils and used brown kraft paper to cover the table. The cups are also recyclable. I love her commitment to choosing a more sustainable option, especially to go out and enjoy nature.

Photo by Kari Walker

When you're prepping for your holiday get-together, remember to recycle as much as you can. And before the guests arrive, set out your trash can and add a recycling bin next to it. If you have more than one trash can set out, place a recycling bin next to each one, so no matter what, your guests have a convenient alternative. You can even pull other items for double duty as a recycling bin, from a lined basket to a plastic storage bin.

To make the distinction easy for guests, place a sign on the recycling bin labeling what can go in it. Since I'm in the giving spirit, I made a festive printable PDF that you can tape onto or above your recycling bin! Click on the image below to download.

Download a PDF of this recycling bin sign and print it for your own holiday party!

How will you green your decorations this year?

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Photo Friday | The Life of Disposable

I talk a lot about our disposable mindset and the importance of choosing reusable products, but this photo from The Story of Stuff sums it up well.

Image: The Story of Stuff

Does this change your perspective?

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