It’s the holiday season, and you know what that means…party time! I’ve been delighted to find that many of the office parties, holiday parties, birthday parties, and wedding parties that I’ve gone to lately were “green.” Drawing inspiration from these parties, I decided to create a guide to throwing a sustainable party ☺
BENEFITS FOR THE ENVIRONMENT:
Here’s the dirt: parties generate a great deal of trash. Disposable plates and cups, paper tablecloths, cards, balloons, wrapping paper and other items add up to several bags of garbage that go straight to landfill. By making more environmentally friendly choices, you can keep items from needlessly filling up landfills and help to conserve our Earth’s natural resources.
Cost: Throwing a sustainable party is likely to take you a bit more time than throwing a traditional party, but you will most likely make up for this extra burden in cost savings. For example, investing in renewable plates and party supplies will cost you money upfront, but you won’t have to pay for new dishware every time you want to host a fun event.
Time and Effort: Varies from low to high, depending on the chosen project. You can start by greening a few aspects of your party and work your way up to a completely eco-friendly gala.
Step 1: The Invitations
These days almost everyone already uses “electronic invitations” to invite guests to their parties, but it’s worth noting that emails, phone calls, or creative e-vites1 save paper and don’t kill trees.
Step 2: The Décor
Several websites and stores specialize in sustainable party supplies that are reusable or made out of recycled materials. The online handmade marketplace gardens !4
Step 3: The Dinnerware
One of the most obvious sources of waste at a traditional party is the disposable plates, bowls, and plastic cutlery. In addition, these ugly paper and plastic supplies do nothing to make a party classy or elegant—there is nothing worse than giving your guests plates that break or soak through, and plastic cutlery that doesn’t cut. Luckily there are many eco-friendly options to choose from nowadays. The option you choose will depend on the amount of money you want to spend:
- Washable & Reusable Tableware – If you go to almost any local low-price store these days you will find very reasonably priced sets of reusable plates, bowls, forks and spoons.5 The greener the resources that go into producing your reusable items, the better. But even washing and reusing cheap alternatives from Target or the Dollar store is still better than serving off disposable ware. The financial payoff of this investment is that after the initial investment, you won’t have to spend another penny on tableware for parties.
- Bamboo Veneerware – If you still want to have a party with disposable ware, bambooware is a classy alternative. Bamboo veneerware is made from the stalks of the bamboo plant, which does not harm the plant itself. Although these products are more expensive than traditional disposables, they are sturdier and will biodegrade in 4 to 6 months when thrown in a compost pile . 7;8
- Bagasse or Sugarcaneware – These disposable products are made from a byproduct of the sugar cane refining process, which makes them a 100% renewable resource.9 These products can be recycled after use to make paper or they can be composted.
- Recycled paper plates10 and fallen leaf or palm tree tablewares11 also make good alternatives, especially if your waste bins are well labeled and you have a big bin for compost.
Step 4: The Food
Consider serving food at your party that is made from vegetarian dishes or just cutting back on animal products—it’s good for the planet and your body ☺
Step 5: The Drinks
What’s a party without alcohol? Besides organic wine and beers ,14 you can support companies that are involved in sustainable practices. For example, Pelee Island winery in Canada employs a proactive approach to maintaining and bettering the climate by investing in renewable energies, recycling, water treatment facilities, composting, bio-dynamic sewage systems, and organic farming.15
Step 6: The Transportation
Encourage your guests to carpool or use public transit. You can include public transportation routes in your invitation or create a Google doc that people can use to organize carpools. Not only will your guests appreciate your efforts in ensuring they don’t spend too much to get to and from your place, they will also be safer if they can figure out their designated driver plans ahead of time.
Step 7: The Party Favor
How many times have you received a party favor that you just add to your “random assortment of junk” pile, or worse, just send to the landfill? More often than not, party favors are underutilized and underappreciated, so why not consider giving a charitable gift instead? You can either hand out charitable gift cards for organizations that deal with multiple charitable causes such as JustGive.org or you can choose an environmental organization of your choice. This idea can work for the host too! In order to ensure guests don’t bring you gifts that may or may not be useful for you, have them donate to a charity of your choice in lieu of a gift.
The most important thing to keep in mind when you host a sustainable party is to have fun! It is fulfilling to throw a party that isn’t wasteful and to inspire your guests with new ideas for their own future parties. A celebration is the perfect venue to encourage your guests to be earth-friendly without shoving it down their throats.
