The Statistics
St. Patrick’s Day is one of the most anticipated party days of the year- Americans spent over 6.85 billion dollars celebrating in 2023 alone! Large cities all over America celebrate the Irish holiday by drinking green pints of beer and enjoying the views of local rivers and canals being dyed green. While this holiday is one of the most anticipated social holidays in American culture, its environmental impacts are not something to ignore.
The Green River Dilemma
We all know and love the iconic green river we see each year in Chicago, but is it a tradition that’s safe to continue long-term? When the green river legacy began back in 1962, the city dumped 100 pounds of oil-based fluorescein dye into the river, turning it emerald for the first time. Environmentalists were quick to express that this created toxicity in the pre-existing ecosystems and the city has since switched to a vegetable-based powder that turns from orange to green when it hits the water. They’ve also been able to reduce the amount of dye used to approximately 40 pounds, due to the concentration of a powder vs liquid dye.
Small changes like these are exactly what is necessary to create a larger, more positive impact on high-pollution holidays. Local organizations, including Friends of the Chicago River, have spoken out with concerns, stating “Dyeing the river green does not respect that resource.” What do you think, does dyeing the river green have hurtful implications?
Hidden Risks of Artificial Dyes
It’s not just rivers that turn green—FD&C Green No. 3 is a key ingredient in St. Paddy’s Day drinks, desserts, and decorations. The consumption of green dyes paired with the sluggish and painful aftermath of drinking alcoholic beverages can cause complications with digestion, headaches, and even hives. If artificial dyes affect humans this much, imagine what they have the power to do to our environment and its ecosystems over time if we aren’t using the correct products.
Guinness Goes Green
Good news for beer lovers- Guinness, the most popular beer for consumption on St. Patrick’s Day, has taken steps since 2022 to create a more conscious cultivation of their product. By using a regenerative agriculture approach they are striving to improve soil health, reduce the use of artificial fertilizers, and enhance water quality. This means working closely with the barley farmers to ensure that they put good in and get good out. This is an ambitious initiative from such a large company, and more corporations making changes like these could be the key to improving our current environmental issues. If Guinness can make this large of a change in their production, why can’t other companies follow suit?
Single-Use Plastics: A Party Problem
Another big issue… the sheer amount of waste. Cities known for their St. Patrick’s Day celebrations see tons of plastic cups, straws, and beer cans littering the streets—sometimes enough to fill multiple football stadiums.
What can we do?
- Use biodegradable cups at events
- Provide more recycling stations in crowded areas
- Encourage bars to offer reusable drinkware
Yes, eco-friendly products can cost more upfront, but the price of plastic pollution is something that costs our entire planet.
How Will You Celebrate Sustainably?
If your company plans on attending or hosting any St. Patrick’s Day events, consider making Earth-conscious decisions. What choices will your team make to stay green? Leave a comment below!