Gain your independence from waste this 4th of July

Make your red, white and blue day a little greener with these sustainability tips. 

1. Growl-er more. 

Serving beer and wine from growlers instead of individual cans or disposable glasses can help minimize waste. 

2. Use the last straw.

Straws are one of the worst pollutants out there. In the U.S. alone, we use 5 hundred million every. single. day. Plus, now there are these super cool keychain straws. 

3. Avoid plastic bottles. 

Yeah, you know the drill. Plastic bottles are awful for the environment. But they are also more loosely regulated than your tap water at home.

4. Bring your reusable bag grocery shopping.

While you're picking up burgers, buns and boxes of firecrackers, avoid using plastic grocery bags that are hard to recycle. 

5. Use natural gas or propane to grill. 

In terms of air pollution, these are better for the environment than charcoal. No matter what kind of grill you have, cook with the lid closed for better energy efficiency.

6. Wear sustainable undies. 

You bet. Pull on ethically sourced organic cotton underwear made with a recycled water bottle in every pair. Sound too good to be true? Meet Marc Skid.