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Memorial Day: Green Holiday Tips for your BBQ

Memorial Day was established in remembrance of the fallen soldiers who gave their lives for our country and for our freedom.  During this holiday many people take time to lay wreaths on grave sites, visit military veterans who are still alive, and just spend quality time with their family and friends.  Cookouts and barbecues are also a popular pastime during the long Memorial Day weekend but can produce a hefty amount of waste and trash, impacting the environment negatively.  Instead follow these green holiday tips to have an eco-friendly cookout that everyone will love this Memorial Day!

When cranking up the grill, one green holiday tip would be to rethink your grilling methods.  Instead of using charcoal which emits dangerous toxins into the air use a gas grill.  Propane is nearly 3 times as efficient as a lump of coal. Another green holiday tip would be to switch your grill to the natural gas feature because natural gas is the cleanest fossil fuel.  A gas grill also, only takes about 5-10 minutes of prep time before it is ready to be used compared to charcoal with takes 15-20 minutes cutting down time for toxins to pollute your green Memorial Day barbeque. 

Another green holiday tip when grilling is that you should make sure your grill is cleaned properly.  Extra food and debris that may have fallen will burn while you grill, and produce extra smoke.  This smoke will cause pollutants to be in the air than needed.  The best time to clean off your grill is after every use, not only will you not forget, but the warmth will allow for food residue to clean easier.

The average American produces 4.3 pounds of waste a day and only recycles one-third of that waste.  A staggering two-thirds of recyclable plastic and glass products is trashed and not recycled.  Instead of contributing to the mountain-like landfills take a moment to recycle at your green 4th of July events. A major green holiday tip to make your green Memorial Day a success is recycling.   Opt for reusable cutlery instead of plastic utensils at your green Memorial Day barbeque or picnic. Before tossing aluminum soda cans into the garbage take a second to recycle it.  One recycled aluminum can produces enough energy saved to power a television for 3 hours.  Not a soda drinker?  No worries, your plastic bottle from water can be recycled too at your Memorial Day celebration.  By having your family and friends refill their water bottles and then recycle, your Memorial Day gathering is not contributing to the 1.5 million tons of plastic waste that accumulates in the world.

Going green this Memorial Day weekend, will not only allow you to throw a fun cookout but one that will be beneficial to the environment.  These green holiday tips are easy and can be done by anyone. 

Novak Sanitary Services, your Sioux Falls waste company, is the place to go for ideas on recycling, waste management, upcycling, and going green!  As your Sioux Falls waste company, we aim to help you and our environment.  For more information on recycling, going green tips, and other ways you can make a difference with your waste, contact your Sioux Falls waste company, Novak Sanitary Services at www.novaksanitary.com.


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