I’m not ashamed to admit that drinking beer is one of my favorite hobbies, mainly because I enjoy doing so while socializing with my friends. I love having people over to our house for backyard get-together involving cold brews, a game or two of washers, good music, and great conversation. However, the mess that comes with a party like this is an unwelcome sight the morning after, and that mess is usually in the form of beer cans and bottles. Before we threw our first party of the summer (Backyard Trivia Night!), my husband and I tried to figure out how we could green up a typical South City soiree. You can use the same tips to green up your next low-key party.

The biggest area we thought we could green up was obviously the beverage department. The typical three options for an event such as a backyard party are BYOB, purchasing a keg, or stocking a bar. Kegs are usually the greenest choice. The kegs themselves are refilled, eliminating all the cans and bottles typically associated with a BYOB party. Even better, many local microbrews offer kegs, so you can keep your beer miles to a minimum. Put out all your old mugs and glasses, and encourage your guests to bring their beer mugs from home to eliminate those pesky disposable Solo cups. If you must use disposable cups, there are biodegradable/compostable options out there.

That being said, kegs can be a pain for hosts, but you can still green up a BYOB or stocked bar affair. First of all, make it clear to your guests that you recycle. We line our recycling bin with a corn-based bioplastic liner and put it right next to a much-smaller regular trash can, with clear and bold signage indicating our preference for recycling. Putting out adequate ashtrays ensures that guests won’t put their ashes and cigarette butts in their bottles or cans (hey, I have a lot of smoker friends, and this is a problem). For me, this is the single most important step I took for a recent party. The guests knew that I recycled, and I think that made them more conscious of what they did with their empties. My clean up was a snap, save for an errant bottlecap or cigarette box. We also put a separate container for the cardboard packaging that cans
and bottles comes. Many local microbrews will accept clean six-pack
holders for reuse, too, so set those aside during clean up.

When it comes to beer, purchase growlers or encourage your guests to do the same. What’s a growler? Well, it’s a half-gallon glass jug full of draft beer that most microbrews sell. They are refillable and returnable, and eliminate single bottles. You get fresh beer at a decent price, with no trash. You can also encourage guests to bring organic or local beer, wine, or spirits. Even my local 7-11 has organic beer, since Anheuser-Busch started making it.

Also, take a step that encourages safety and eco-awareness: carpool. One sober driver for a carful of drinkers can save lives and use less gas.

Finally, during that next morning cleanup, make sure you are using eco-friendly cleaners to wipe up spills and mop your undoubtedly-sticky floor. Tiffany had a great post yesterday on green cleaners that you can buy or make yourself.