Many celebrations call for traditions that are meaningful to use but can be harmful to the environment. The next time you celebrate you might want to consider the environmental impact of certain traditions that damage the environment.
The Christmas tree is an ongoing debate of what is better for the environment – buying a real tree or having an artificial tree. Tree farms require using a lot of resources such as water and pesticides to grow the trees, but real trees soak up carbon dioxide that is also 100% biodegradable.
Having a faux tree saves natural resources such as helping to avoid killing real trees and the water needed to keep it alive but during production, there are pollutants released into the atmosphere. Ultimately, these faux trees will end up in a landfill where they will never biodegrade unless you keep it for many years and get the use out of the tree.
An eco-friendly alternative for having a Christmas tree is getting a live tree from your local farm and recycling it after the holidays. Another option is looking into renting a live tree from a local nursery that you return after the holidays. A crafty option is decorating a potted plant in your home or building your own Christmas tree from recyclable materials. The ultimate eco-friendly option is foregoing having a tree altogether.
Fireworks are one of the longest-standing traditions to celebrate many national holidays especially the New Year and the Fourth of July. Though watching fireworks are mesmerizing, fireworks can lead to a substantial amount of air pollution with the chemical residue and litter that can be washed into natural water resources while posing a threat to wildfires.
It is hard to find an alternative to fireworks, but the best practice is not to do them yourself and enjoy public fireworks displays in your local municipalities for special holidays. For your own personal celebrations try using a light show projector or attending laser light shows.
Another tradition that takes a toll on the environment is sky lanterns that are used in many traditions in multiple cultures worldwide celebrating holidays, making wishes, or mourning the passing of loved ones. Sky lanterns have become so popular there are massive events with many people releasing lanterns at once. Some companies offer a biodegradable option, but sky lanterns pose a massive problem for the environment and wildlife as the wireframes have caused damage to animals also posing a massive fire hazard.
The hazards that result from sky lanterns have led to being banned in many states including several countries. An alternative to this tradition is sending off local native flowers in a local body of water as a symbolic replacement to sky lanterns.
The diamond industry is commonly associated with engagement rings as a time for celebration but, the sourcing of the precious stone has along-time environmental impact. The diamond industry really boomed following the marketing strategy created by the international diamond corporation, DeBeers, with the slogan of “A diamond is forever.”
In 1947 De Beers created this slogan that created the tradition of proposing with a diamond engagement ring, driving the diamond industry that damages the environment at a great cost all in the name of a precious gem. The biggest diamond mines in the world in South Africa have impacted the environment causing deforestation, decreasing wildlife populations, and widespread soil erosion.
This has resulted in rivers being rerouted causing local populations to relocate as the farmland has been left devastated. The best eco-friendly alternative is choosing a lab-grown gem with other alternatives such as using recycled materials or vintage pieces.
These are just a few traditions that have a major environmental impact so the next time you have a celebration, consider the environmental impact and do what you can to prevent harming the environment.