Red, White, Blue...and Green

While Red, White, and Blue may be the primary colors celebrated over the July 4th weekend, there is no reason why you cannot add some green into the mix and make your festivities as environmentally sound as you can while at the beach. Here are some ideas:

1. Green the grill: Hot dogs, hamburgers and veggies over an open, outdoor flame is a cornerstone of many a July 4th celebration. Charcoal briquettes, though, can contribute to air pollution, and deforestation, and emit greenhouse gasses with additives such as nitrates, limestone, treated wood, petroleum, and borax. Alternatives include:

   1. Big Green Egg makes lump charcoal made from American Oak and hickory that is free of additives. A bonus is there is much less ash to clean after,

   2. The Original Charcoal Company makes different brands of fire-stoking woods and chips, The wood used is coppiced, which means a single tree is cut to the stump several times and re-harvested, and their products are not only all-natural but long-lasting for late-night fires.

   3. Another alternative altogether is by using, propane or electric grills. Grills fueled by gas or electricity burn much cleaner than charcoal and therefore have a significantly smaller carbon footprint.

2. Recycle that picnic: Instead of buying paper plates and plastic sporks, look for recyclable or reusable alternatives. There are countless reusable utensils and plate options that can easily be rinsed off for future outdoor dining and won’t add to the amount of trash. Consider filling reusable water bottles, or using aluminum cans, as plastic bottles are one of the largest contributors of trash along our beaches and can disrupt marine life.

3. Act like a local: Delaware is a state rich in agriculture, and local farmers’ markets are available to provide the freshest alternatives for your next meal at the beach. Additionally, you can save a lot of storage in the car for the trip to the beach and reduce the amount of plastic bags needed to tote your grub.

   1. Rehoboth Beach Farmers’ Market: Every Tuesday at Grove Park in downtown Rehoboth, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

   2. Historic Lewes Farmers’ Market: Three locations: the Crooked Hammock on King’s Highway from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. (until Aug. 29), George H.P. Smith Park, at Johnson & Dupont Avenues from 8 a.m. to noon (until Sept. 29).

   3. Bethany Beach Farmers’ Market: Garfield Parkway and Pennsylvania Avenue, on Sundays, 8 a.m. to noon (until Sept. 2).

4. Sun smarts: When you are slathering on sunscreen for those prolonged periods out in the sun, check to make sure that it’s not harmful to our oceans. There are many chemicals in popular brands that are damaging to our local waters (such as any form of microplastic sphere or beads, zinc oxide, titanium dioxide, oxybenzone, octinoxate, 4-methylbenzylidene camphor, octocrylene, para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA), and butylparaben). The non-profit, non-partisan Environmental Working Group posted a helpful site that helps in selecting the best sunscreens at ewg.org/sunscreen, and even constructed a list on Amazon.com to help locate the brands they recommend.

However you decide to celebrate the holiday, mark it by honoring the very earth on which you stand to keep it around for future generations to enjoy.

Originally published in the Cape Gazette and Beach Paper on July 2, 2019