Green Victoria Day Celebration Ideas
Biodegradable Cutlery and Organic Beers to Bring to Your Party
May 6, 2009
May 24th is traditionally in honour of the late Queen Victoria’s birthday. In Canada, England, Australia and New Zealand, the holiday is always held on the Monday before May 25th, for a three-day weekend. Here are some tips to celebrate a waste-free long weekend, and save some money as you enjoy yourselves in an eco-friendly celebration.
What is “Two-Four Weekend?”
Two-Four Weekend means “a case of 24 beers” to Canadians, but it also refers to Victoria Weekend – the three day weekend around the end of May, when many buy their two-fours for parties, or to last all three days. There are some fine “green” beers out there, so if you’re looking to celebrate your Victoria Day holiday with a barbecue paired with some cold ones, consider the following Canadian talent in organic brews:
Enviro-Friendly Beers: Putting The Two-Four in Your Weekend
Organic beers are becoming more popular as people are getting suspicious of the use of pesticides in their food and drink. With their popularity, organic beers are not as rare as they used to be, nor as expensive.
While they may cost marginally more, it’s not much more than buying a six pack of an expensive import: And your celebration may deserve something special, this year.
Many import beers from Germany following the strict brewing conditions that adhere to their Purity Law: Only water, yeast, wheat and/or barley and hops are allowed in the mix.
Many North American brands add artificial colours and preservatives to extend shelf life.Consider supporting some local, Canadian brewers that also eschew pesticides, colouring and preservatives:
- Wild Rose Brewery, based in Alberta
- Crannóg Ales, certified organic beer, based in BC
- NatureLand Organic Lager and Amber Ale, based in BC
- Nelson Brewing Company, based in BC
- Propeller Brewing Company, based in Nova Scotia
- Mill Street Organic, based in Ontario
- Steam Whistle Brewery, based in Ontario
Green Alternatives to Disposable Plates and Cutlery
Picnics are fun. Barbecues are fun. Doing dishes, or contributing to landfills is not fun. Luckily, there are biodegradable alternatives to buying plastic forks and knives or paper plates.
A vegetable cellulose-based option may good for those who don’t want to use bleached paper plates, even if they do burn them off in a bonfire or barbecue, later.
- Vegware: They use potatoes to form these disposable, biodegradable sets of cutlery. At the end of your party or barbecue, you can put these in your green bin, or compost heap, and it will decompose in 180 days.
- World Centric: These utensils are made from 80% non-GMO cornstarch resin and 20% biodegradable fillers. Their company describes them as being able to completely compost “in a commercial composting facility in 180-360 days."
- Montreal-based company Go Green In Stages sells Bio Forks, Bio Spoons and Bio Knives, biodegradable and compostable cutlery that remain durable in hot and cold foods. Made from a combination of potato and cornstarch, it’s available in Canada, online.
While there are many ways to enjoy the holiday without creating waste, knowing that you are leaving a cleaner legacy for future generations to enjoy their three-day weekends will make it that much better.
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