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Planning on hitting up Washington D.C. for inauguration (or the eventful weekend bound to precede it)? Well, as I'm sure you know, you're not the only one. According to predictify.com, up to two million people may attend the inauguration on January 20th. Two million people is a lot and as you might guess, that will invariably mean a lot of garbage and hassle in D.C. on the 20th. If you're planning on being one of the two million, why not ring in the new president with an eco-friendly experience in D.C.?
- Keep water in a thermos.
Obtaining water in densely crowded situations like these typically becomes difficult and bottled water isn't an eco-friendly choice. Come prepared with a thermos filled with water.
- Keep a makeshift trash/recycling bag on you.
Who knows if you'll be able to find unfilled garbage or recycling reciprocals with crowds like these. Keep two spare bags with you so that you can, worst case scenario, have somewhere to put your trash and recycling. Many of us have spare plastic bags lying around that are great for this; especially because they can be squeezed into such small balls and fit perfectly in your purse or backpack. If you don't have spare plastic bags lying around...good for you! My advice would be to keep your trash in your backpack or purse until you can dispose of it properly.
- Carpool.
Bus, train, and plane tickets are nearly sold out into D.C. for inauguration. Hotels are all booked. With this kind of information, you can safely suspect that parking will be a pain in the neck. Instead of wasting gas, time, and energy on looking for parking yourself, help reduce the damage and carpool if you're driving into D.C.
- Eat Green.
D.C. is a great city for restaurants, but finding green restaurants is always a bit tough. Places to consider for food: Java Green, Sticky Fingers Bakery, Chix, Hook, or Equinox. Also, keep your eye out for SmartKarts. These carts, filled with healthy food and drinks, will be placed conveniently between the Capitol and the Monument for Inauguration Day.
- Use the Metro.
Even if you do drive into the city, park your car and take the Metro around downtown. With so many people in the city at once, public transportation is a sure way to travel greener and more quickly.
More on being green amidst large crowds:
Have An Eco-Friendly Layover
Do You Need Nature Therapy?
