10 Low-Waste Mocktail Recipes That Are Good for You and the Planet

The latest craze in

alcoholic beverages? Those made with no alcohol at all.

From the millennials and zoomers skewing

"sober curious" to those opting for an all-out eschewal of

wine, beer, and spirits, social time enjoyed sans cocktail is becoming more and more popular. But that doesn't mean we don't want something to sip!

Fortunately, a new guard of low-waste mocktail recipes is here to keep your alcohol-free lifestyle refreshing, fun, and excessively sustainable.

There are many reasons to trade your cocktail for a mocktail. In

terms of health, even light drinking can lead to injury (due to drunkenness), high blood pressure, weakened immunity, memory problems, and more. And ditching the booze comes with some environmental upsides, too.

The production of alcohol features a substantial environmental footprint,

predominantly due to water runoff from production coupled with carbon emissions and packaging waste from distribution. Plus, alcohol decreases

mindfulness, diminishing our awareness of the impact of our habits and actions and diminishing our sense of connection to the planet and the people around us.

Lastly, mocktails made with attention to ingredients can serve as an opportunity to upcycle

food scraps, further reducing your waste while enhancing your afternoon or evening. In short, this tasty trend boasts major benefits.

Here, 10 low-waste mocktail recipes to add to your beverage-making bio.

An alcohol-free mojito provides the perfect starting point for your low-waste mocktail journey. This drink is incredibly easy to make and calls for only lime, mint, and soda water, though extra options (like natural sweeteners) abound.

This summertime sipper was crafted using a methodology we can get behind: it's just what the blogger happened to have on hand! Simple ingredients + the power of

upcycling = your new go-to beverage.

Grapefruit and rosemary are two simple ingredients that combine for one refreshing and restorative mocktail. Between grapefruit's vitamin C and rosemary's antiviral qualities, this delicious sip is healthy, too.

Spicy and sweet, this mock margarita makes use of refreshing mint and melon, with a kick courtesy of jalapeños.

Need a quick cool down? Cucumber, lemon, lime, mint, and honey mix to provide instantaneous chill.

Improved gut health is a mere sip away. Lemon and lime meld with apple cider vinegar and a fizzy finish, the mocktail primed to improve your digestion.

Enjoy the latest cocktail trend without the buzz with this virgin

espresso martini. As with the alcoholic version, this mocktail is the perfect means of upcycling your coffee grounds into a drinkable treat.

Autumn's well-loved apple cider gets a boost via fizz and fresh ginger. Toss in a cinnamon stick and soak up the spirit of the season—even (or especially) on its warmer days.

Cherry's sweet taste and tart finish make for the ultimate mocktail base. Not only is this mocktail free of alcohol, it's low in sugar, too.

Meet your mimosa replacement. Prep a pitcher of the vitamin C-packed crowd-pleaser for your next breakfast or brunch—no matter how early it may be!