We’re a few mere hours away from the kickoff at Arizona but many of us are already wondering. Will the Patriots get passed the Deflategate and over the defending champions? Will the Seahawks be able to repeat what they achieved last year? Will Lenny Kravitz infuse at least a little rock n roll in Katy Perry? But, most importantly, will we survive the Super Bowl party we’ll surely attend?

Super Bowl Sunday is the second biggest eating holiday in America, just surpassed by Thanksgiving, with an average ingest of at least 2,400 calories. Given that an average adult needs 2,200 cals per day at most, well, you can see where we’re getting here. But that’s not all. Many of the things we eat that day produce waste – lots of it. In the end, any Super Bowl party doesn’t just end with everyone stuffed: the trash cans are overflowing as well.

That’s why having an eco-friendly party is such a great idea. If you host a more green-lifestyle kind of party, you’ll feel lighter after the game is over, you’ll have less to clean and you’ll feel great knowing that you’ll have lent a hand to our environment. So, if you’ve made your mind about it, here are 10 tips for a greener Super Bowl party this Sunday.

Use less packages

If you’re to have a greener Super Bowl party, you’ll have to reduce the amount of plastic you buy. How can you do that? By avoiding packages. To do so, purchase snacks, sweets and ingredients by the bulk. Also, choose loose produce in your supermarket or your local farmer’s market. You won’t only be using less packaging, you’ll also be saving money.

Go with the greener beverages

The same we said above serves here. Buying in bulk means you’ll have fewer cans and bottles to dispose of while it also help you in saving some bucks. You can also look online for a local brewery that follow green practices. This policy is more common than you might think and will also help you with your greener Super Bowl Sunday.

Buy local

That thing about looking for local breweries? You should apply it to everything you buy. From beverages to produce, purchasing products made closer to home means that they didn’t have to be transported as much as the ones that had to be shipped all across the country. Just be sure to look for these products online and to anticipate your purchase, especially if you aren’t a regular customer of a particular brand.

Cook your own food

We won’t argue that ordering takeout is a very convenient way to take care of food. But that is also one of the ways you produce more waste. This is especially true for pizza boxes, which have proven to be a big problem when it’s time to recycle them. Replace all that with an easy-to-do recipe: make your own sauces, prepare your veggies and cook your own pizzas in advance.

Take your TV to the greener side

Having a group of people gathered around one TV instead of having them scattered around many TVs is already a great step towards a greener Super Bowl. There are, however, other things you can consider. First, adjust your TV brightness since many devices are set in the highest option by default. This saves energy without compromising the image quality. Second, many people use the Super Bowl as an excuse to buy a bigger TV. There’s nothing wrong with that as long as you purchase an Energy Star certified equipment. Finally, donate or recycle your old TV if you aren’t going to use it anymore.

Careful with your paperwares

You probably haven’t think about it, but hosting a Super Bowl party involves a lot of paper. Try to limit the amount you use by sending invitations via e-mail or Facebook. Additionally, look for ways to minimize your disposables and just but the ones you’ll undoubtedly need. When choosing which ones to purchase, always go with that made from renewable or recyclable materials. Finally, you don’t have to purchase paper decorations to liven up the party. Be creative with what you already have: shirts, hats, footballs and any football-related paraphernalia you might have laying around. Even better: make the decorations yourself with used cans and bottles.

Encourage carpooling

Carpooling already is a big deal in many countries, so many people will surely be receptive when you encourage them to attend to your party by sharing a car with other guest. In fact, you can even put some guests in touch that might benefit from it, such as friends that come from the same neighborhood. Also provide your guests with information about ways of getting there through public transportation. All these measures won’t just help reduce car emissions: they’ll also reduce the trouble of finding parking spaces your guests might encounter at their arrival

Organize your recycling

We already said that Super Bowl parties make a lot of waste, so it’d be smart for you to plan how you’re going to organize the recycling during your party. Have a designated space in your house for recycling and label all the bins in the clearest way possible. You can even color-code them and instruct your guests about them on arrival. That way, you and them can focus on the game knowing that everyone will be putting the waste where it belongs.

Save all the leftovers

It surely has happened to you after a party: you find yourself with lots of leftover food and unsure if you’ll be able to eat it all. Don’t let it happen again! To prevent from keeping food that you might end up throwing away, take a look at the leftovers before the guests leave. That way, you can quickly realize if there’s too much and share it with your guests. Additionally, be sure to put the leftovers in the fridge when you’re done with them to prevent them from spoiling.

Clean your house the green way

After all is said and done, it’ll be time to clean up. Be sure to make it the green way! That means that you can wash plastic utensils and keep them for another party; recycle your paper plates and cups; and use recycled paper towels and biodegradable trash bags to end your party in the greenest way possible.

With these tips you’ll surely enjoy a different Super Bowl, one that will make you feel better about the difference you’re making in favor of the environment and keeping up your #Change4Better. Have any more tricks? Share them with us!