Tomorrow the country will be celebrating its Independence Day, and that means 4th of July fireworks will be lighting up skies all across America. Unfortunately those awe-inspiring explosions and breathtaking burst of color can do some fairly significant damage in the short time they’re streaking across the sky, contributing to air pollution and contaminating nearby bodies of water with harmful perchlorates. Knowing the eco-aftermath of firework shows that typically last 10 minutes or less can be disheartening and make it difficult to justify such festivities, but one day you may not have to feel guilty about taking in a pyrotechnic masterpiece. Researchers have been working on new formulas for fireworks that don’t include perchlorates and are made up of cleaner burning materials that produce less smoke.

The new formulas have been put into action for firework shows at rock concerts and circuses, but have yet to be employed for big outdoor shows because of the higher cost, and that’s likely the largest issue facing greener fireworks. Because there aren’t regulations to motivate firework manufacturers to change their formulas and the cost of more eco-friendly alternatives is higher, traditional fireworks still rule the market. Some companies, however, are using cardboard and paper mache to cover their fireworks instead of the usual plastic coverings, and that will help reduce the amount of plastic waste entering nearby water sources and littering the ground. One easier (and cheaper) way to reduce some of the environmental impact from fireworks would also be for firework companies to forego the full range of colors that have become popular for more neutral, natural looking flames, and that’s because the coloration of fireworks is often where vast quantities of heavy metals are used.

Firework manufacturers are unlikely to change their standards without a less external motivation, so if you want to see greener fireworks (even if they’re colorless) in your area, consider writing those who put on the biggest 4th of July firework shows in your area and asking that they pursue more eco-friendly fireworks. You can also skip doing fireworks at home and attend a large show (if more of us did the same we’d need less fireworks all around). Just try for a show that you can get to using public transit to reduce air pollution a little more on America’s independence day—doing so also means you’ll be able to enjoy a couple of drinks if you choose to.

Whatever you do, whether your festivities include fireworks or not, we hope you have a great 4th of July! We’ll be celebrating the fact that we live in a country that’s finding some room for going green in all the red, white and blue.

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