New Year’s Eve is fast approaching, which will mark the end of 2019 and gives us all a fresh year to start on our new resolutions, or recycle last years if you didn’t quite get to them all. But other than recycling your resolutions, what else could you do to celebrate bringing in the New Year in a sustainable way?
With just a quick search of the internet, it is easy to find many ways to make this time of year a little greener. Here are my top finds on how to bring in 2020 in a more mindful way.
Buy local
If you are hosting the celebrations this year or just bringing a plate, try to buy local. Not only is it great for the local economy, it is also a conversation starter and a wonderful way to spread the word of great businesses in the area.
Another benefit of buying from local producers is reduced packaging. You may be able to ask to have your items to be placed in reusable containers you brought from home.
LED lighting, solar power, decorations
Many of us have already decorated in time for Christmas, and hopefully, most of your light displays are made up of LED and solar power. If this is the case, consider re-using or rearranging your light display for you New Year’s celebrations.
Stay away from disposables
Now if you are like me, you might not enjoy the idea of washing a heap of dishes any day, never mind the day after a long and energetic celebration. Take relief in knowing that providing reusable items rather than disposables is a great way to do your part for the environment. If you are still not interested in using all those dishes, a second option is to use biodegradable or compostable dishes and utensils.
Use public transport or carpool
Using public transport and even carpooling is a very environmentally friendly and potentially safer way to travel this New Year’s Eve. By trading your driver’s seat for a passenger’s seat, you lower emissions to the environment and lower the risk of accidents on the road through tired, distracted and drink driving. Many public transport companies even provide free event transport if you are heading to a major event.
If celebrating in public space, put all rubbish in bins or take home with you
A big spotlight in the media lately has been how much rubbish is discarded during large public events. It is not only important, but in general just the right thing to do, that you put all of your rubbish in a bin. It is understandable that at these events most of the time you will find the provided bins overflowing, so what do you do? Plan ahead, take a bag or box with you to your event and collect your rubbish, at the end of the night you can place your collected rubbish either next to a provided bin or you could take it home and put it in your own bin to ensure nothing gets away.
Sustainable resolution
Consider making a resolution this year to be more sustainable in 2020, be specific but start small if you are new to the idea of long-term sustainability. You can resolve to buy local or decomposable or more natural products. You could try to grow your own vegetables and compost your kitchen waste. Whatever you choose, every bit counts.
If you or your company would like
to know more about creating a sustainable event give Integrate Sustainability a
call on 08 9468 0338 or email enquiries@integratesustainability.com.au.
Image References
Transperth Train Photo by xiquinhosilva – Flickr, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=78495391