Aside from the best holiday ever (St. Patrick’s Day – my biased opinion), March can be pretty mundane. It’s the last leg of the winter marathon and a pretty nondescript month – no offense to all of you March babies. So here at BC we decided to spice things up and dedicate March to all things GREEN.
Through the collaboration of student groups EcoPledge, UGBC, and Real Foods, a month of amazing, interesting, and fun events is being put on to educate the BC community about environmental issues. Check out the BC Green Month Calendar for the schedule of events: http://bc-greenmonth.tumblr.com/
I was getting ready to go out while thinking about all the ways I could be green this month when it dawned on me that one of the main activities BC students partake in (myself included) is going out and drinking. This is an area that doesn’t get much “green guidance,” so here are some tips that can make your tri-weekly routine to Cleveland Circle a little more environmentally friendly.
1.) Take public transportation or walk to the bars
Cleveland Circle is very accessible by public transportation. You can take the BC bus and the B line (it gets you close enough) there. Now that the weather is getting nicer, walking is also a definite option. The BC bus is probably your best bet coming home. The bars close at two, but by leaving a few minutes early to catch the last bus you can eliminate the need for a cab.
2.) Reuse Beer Glasses
The concept is fairly simple. Once you get your first beer, keep reusing the same glass (ingenious I know!). By requesting to have your bartender fill up the same glass again with your favorite choice beverage, you are saving a lot water, time, and energy!
3.) Recycle Road Beers
I know that it’s an ABSOLUTE necessity to take a beer with you on the long, long trek to MA’s. But it’s not a necessity to throw that road beer on the ground. Once you get off the bus or somewhere along your walk, find a recycling bin and toss your beer can into it. Aluminum can be recycled very quickly: “an aluminum can will likely be recycled and back on the shelves within 60 days.” Also, aluminum is a very sustainable metal and for the most part can be recycled an infinite number of times.
4.) Drink Draught not Bottled
“Due to the resource savings from the packaging differences, draught beer has been found to have a 68 percent lower impact than bottled beer.” Another plus side to choosing draught beer is the price. A typical draught in Cleveland Circle runs at about $1.75 – $2.00, making it an ideal choice for college students.
5.) Choose Sustainable Brands
This tip is a little trickier to execute but definitely not impossible. While most of the beers available in our bars are neither sustainable nor organic there are some hidden gems. At Cityside, for example, they offer Sierra Nevada, a draught beer that is manufactured in a facility that runs on solar panels! Or next time you’re out shopping at Trader Joe’s or picking up alcohol at Res, peruse the selection of organic beers and wines. I guarantee that they taste better than a 30 rack of Natty Light.
By taking adopting some or all of these easy tips you are lowering your eco-impact on the planet, not to mention exploring a whole new world of yummy beers!
Source:
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/11/how-to-go-green-beers.php