Fourth of July parties can be a fun time for the entire family. It can leave behind a lot of trash and hurt the environment. Here are some ways to change your usual Fourth of July party plans and make your party go green.

Reuse those old decorations

Instead of throwing away all of those decorations you buy every year, save them. The theme for a Fourth of July party is never going to change. Red, white and blue will be the main colors for forever, so those decorations will still work.

Green Fireworks

I am not talking about only buying the color green fireworks. There are types of fireworks that are full of nitrogen and these are a little better for the environment. Fireworks are a Fourth of July tradition, but it may be time for a greener choice and change up tradition.

Recycle!

When it comes to leftovers and trash left behind by the party, remember to recycle. You can have one bag for trash and another bag for all of the recyclable items. You could make a fun pick up game for the kids and this could educate them on what can and cannot be recycled. Also a compost never hurt anyone.

Carpool

You and all of your friends are going to end up in the same place, so just ride together. This may seem simple, but it is a great way to help reducing your carbon footprint. Carpooling is one of the easiest things to change in order to make your Fourth of July a little more eco friendly for everyone involved.

 No more plastic

Plastic utensils seem easier to deal with, but it is not easy on our planet. Use reusable silverware instead of pulling out those plastic spoons and forks. Reusable silverware is a greener way and easy to do to help the environment and still have a great Fourth of July party for the entire group.