3 Green Parties: Reduce Waste At Your Fun Events

Whether you are hosting a dinner party or a birthday party, big or small, the stress of planning an event can be consuming. Having a stress-free party can be done in green style, with these environmentally-friendly tips.

The Home Dinner Party

Green can be glamorous: by choosing the right, earth-friendly materials to decorate, an intimate setting of a formal dinner party is achievable without waste. To set the lighting of the table, use candles made from soy or beeswax – these materials are more sustainable. Decorating with a crafty reuse or upcycled materials, instead of buying new and disposable decorations can add a unique touch.

At the end of dinner, you can encourage your guests to recycle and compost with recycling bins placed next to compost and trash receptacles. Your good china can also be treated with a green clean by using a biodegradable, earth-friendly detergent for the dishwasher. 

The Big, Zero-Waste Birthday Party

These big celebrations usually conjure wasteful images. Plastic cups and paper plates are often strewn around or piled up in big garbage bags. Such a momentous event can create monumental waste that is not recyclable. 

You can curb this waste by thinking about the things you are buying ahead of time, and how its packaging impacts the environment. For example, it is more efficient to recreate materials from soda cans instead of plastic. In addition, instead of normal standard plates coated in plastic, compostable plates and utensils are more effective at reducing waste. Many of these items can simply be thrown into a backyard compost pile or bin, making clean-up much easier on yourself.

An-Almost Disposable-Free Picnic 

If you are planning a party outside your home, such as a park or a beach, planning a creative meal without or minimal dishware can save on trash. For example, wrapping sandwiches in bandanas removes the need for a dish or paper napkins. Cut up cloth from old or thrifted clothes can also be used as cheap alternative napkins. Bringing a recycling bin can also help collect bottles or cans for you to take home to recycle.