Game Days are uh comin’. And when it comes to football, a time honored tradition of Game Day is pregame parties and tailgating. Or, as we here at EnviroPerks like to call it, greengame parties and greengating. Oh Yeah! GO PERKSTERS GO!!!!
PrEGaMe PaRtY What! What!
Ain’t No Party Like A PreGame Party Cause A PreGame Party Don’t Stop! WHEW HEW! You gotta love pregame parties. They get us hyped and excited for the big game! Cheering for your fav team, dancing with friends, eating awesome foods, ahhhh…..there’s nothing better. But, maybe we could make it a little better, right? Let’s tip our cups to greening up the pregame party, shall we?
Green Up Your Solo Cup
Single Use Abuse! BOOOOOOO! We call foul on that play. Everyone likes to party and a pregame party is like no other. But, nobody, and we do mean nobody, is a fan of the clean-up, which is usually why we opt for single use products. But, plastic cutlery, plates and cups are super harmful to the environment and often end up in our oceans. So, why not try a more sustainable choice that’s easy on the clean-up and the earth.
EarthHero offers some incredible options like World Centric Clear Compostable Cups, made from bio-based plastics that are derived from renewable resources grown right here in the USA, and the amazing Compostable Party Plates with Cup Holder. These things are super cool! They’re non toxic, gluten free, made from naturally renewable plant fiber, and will breakdown in the environment within 180 days; same for the compostable cups. Pick your jaw up. They also have built-in portion control! (The cup holder takes up space on your plate, soooo….less stuffing your face. See, built-in portion control. Tee Hee) And, one of the best parts, EnviroPerks members get 15% off their order….Game On!
Green Decoration Elation
We go allllllllll out when it comes to decorating for the pregame party. It truly is an event! But, it comes with it’s fair share of trash as well. There’s a way to fix that though. Try a few of these options.
- Get Creative! – Decorate items you already have around the house in your team’s colors.
- Thrift It Up! – Shop for decorations at thrift or second hand stores to eliminate buying one time use products.
- Band Balloons! – Use flags, banners, streamers or even ribbon dancers. Balloons Blow have some exciting decoration ideas that you can use and reuse instead of balloons. Balloons blow, that’s just funny. LOL
Greengame Grub
The food, hands down, has to be the most important part of a pregame party. I mean, what kind of party doesn’t have food, right? Even this can have some aspects of green bliss. Try replacing some of your classic pregame foods with vegan or vegetarian options like Frank’s Red Hot cauliflower buffalo wings, Impossible Burgers or Field Roast Frankfurters. You can also substitute some of your favorite snacks with organic choices. Heck, guys, even Doritos has organic chips.
Bring The Action!
Now that we’ve “greengamed”, it’s time to actually go to the game. Tailgating is like camping on steroids, literally. There’s tents, coolers, chairs, folding tables, duct tape, first aid kits, generators and, of course, we CANNOT forget the reason for the season: da grill. (Insert SNL’s “Da Bears” tone on that “da grill” moment. Lol)
Gridiron
Ok, being honest though, firing up the “bar b” does take a toll on the environment and it’s not so great for you either. But, of course, we have the perfect Green Day solution: pellet grills. They burn clean with minimal ash and use recycled wood pellets for fuel. Not to mention, the flavor of the food is amazing! One of the best is a Z Grill. And this season, Loyatly+ members can take advantage of $20 off a great little grill to “greengate” and chill. Simply log in to your Loyalty+ account and search Z Grill to save!
Suns Out, Funs Out!
You can’t have a real tailgate party without some source of energy though. Most folks use a generator but generators, like gas and diesel engines, are super harmful for the environment. Not to mention, you! They use fossil fuels and create carbon emissions that you, in turn, breathe in. Think about it, you got your charcoal grill going and a gas generator running non-stop. That’s a carbon nightmare! So, try a solar powered generator like Jackery Solar Generators. As long as there’s sun, you’ll have hours of play and fun! Best of all, it’s great for you and the environment too!
Greengate Pro
Now that you know, here’s a few more things you can do to “greengate” like a pro and help minimize any harmful effects on the planet!
> Carpool with friends to the game
> Provide recycling for aluminum cans and plastic water bottles
> Turn off your vehicle when you don’t need it running
> Buy in bulk to reduce packaging waste
End Zone
For all those who think it’s uncool to turn your Game Day to Green Day, think again, my friend. According to Electric Choice, colleges and the NFL are starting to make the planet their favorite team. WOOT! WOOT! Everyone’s getting into the green zone because they get that we can’t just pass the ball. The clocks running out and there won’t be a Hail Mary moment. We all have to pitch in and help, because saving the planet is a team sport.
Jammica Boone is a writer and content creator for EnviroPerks.