Planning a Super Bowl bash? Try these tips to make your football party a green event (even if green isn't your team's color):
Send an e-vite.
Use online invitation sites, such as evite.com or pingg.com, instead of mailing out paper invitations.
Downplay the décor.
All eyes will be on the game, so cut back on decorations. "Stay away from the 'Super Bowl XLIV' stuff," says Fineliving.com's Alexis Mersel. Use centerpieces of fresh fruit or flowers. Or hang strings of miniature LED lights in your team's colors, says Jeffrey Davis, senior editor of the blog "Fun Times Guide to Living Green."
Go organic and local.
Serve beer from your local microbrewery. It's a great conversation piece, Mersel says. Help guests make healthier choices by serving some vegetarian "junk food," such as meat-free chili or vegan cookies.
Avoid paper products.
Use real dishes, glassware and utensils. Put recycling bins in obvious places. "Do a little homework to find out what you can and cannot recycle," Davis says. Try Earth911.com for tips. Ask guests to bring containers from home for leftovers, or find a homeless shelter or soup kitchen that accepts food donations.
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