We have only just overcome the Christmas festivities and with New Year’s Eve, the next great challenge for our sustainable lifestyle approaches already. But why waiting with the good resolutions until New Year, when you can also organise the turn of the year in an eco-friendly way? We will reveal a few tips in the following:
Of course, a decadent banquet must not be missing on New Year’s Eve, traditionally most of us serve raclette or fondue to mark the occasion. However, you can buy the ingredients for your feast also regionally or at least look out for sustainable certifications like the Öko- or the Fairtrade seal in the supermarket. If you would like to chink glasses with champagne at midnight, resort to bio champagne with natural cork and without additional bottle ornaments. The appropriate decorations are best made by yourself, this also seems much more individual. Streamers and confetti of recycled paper also provide for the perfect party atmosphere. In each case, you should try to reuse most of your decorations again next year, if possible.
If you really want to approach New Year’s Eve sustainably, you have to abdicate the fireworks completely, unfortunately. With the firecrackers, masses of fine dust, soot particles, sulfur compounds and carbon dioxide are released which is not only highly ecologically harmful but also unhealthy – not to mention the masses of waste. Moreover, the noise scares off wild animals and pets and the toxic chemicals can even find their way into our groundwater in some circumstances. Therefore, it would be much more sustainable to donate the money or invest it in the conservation of the environment. The fireworks can be seen much better from a more highly situated viewpoint anyway, so that you do not even have to fire your own bangers. Unfortunately, also sparklers and the popular lead-pouring are not particularly eco-friendly, especially as the plumb is scarcely disposed of in the special waste like actually required. If you would like to know what New Year will bring nonetheless, use liquid beeswax instead or read the palm or the tea leaves.
We hope that we could help you with our tips and wish you a Green and Happy New Year!