5 Great Eco-Friendly Party Ideas

Sustainability and environmentally friendly practices are top contenders for the title of buzzword of the decade. So it’s no wonder that people have turned to green ideas when it comes to hosting parties.

Now, parties have always tended to be on the wasteful side of things, but we have you covered with this article. Whether you’re throwing a birthday party for your child, or organizing a more elegant soiree, here are a few things to keep in mind to minimize waste. 

Use environmentally friendly party invitations

Party invitations are an excellent way to get yourself and your guests excited about the upcoming party. It’s a good idea to use more eco-friendly options like ecards, or to simply invite your guests over email.

One great online option is to create an event page on Facebook and invite the people you want at your bash. Of course, it isn’t always possible to pull this off; it could be seen as inappropriate at more formal events. For these occasions, contact a local recycling company that incorporates a relatively high fraction of recycled material in its paper. Or go to a letterpress that uses eco-luxe paper that look beautiful while also being certifiably green.

Get food from the local farmers’ markets

Processed and canned foods tend to have a horrifically large carbon footprint, thanks to all the manufacturing, packaging and transport that’s involved in bringing them to your grocery store. A better option is to visit your local farmers’ markets, and grab organic fruits and herbs to use in your own signature desserts and drinks.

Disposable plates alternatives

Now don’t get scared; I’m not advocating that you turn towards cleaning the dishes after the party in lieu of buying disposable plates and cups. The mess left after a party would terrify the bravest of us all. But instead of contributing to the non-biodegradable waste in landfill sites, why not go to a party rental company?

They will be happy to rent you all the party plates, silverware, cups and glasses that you need. And the best part is that you don’t even have to wash them; just return them dirty! Or, you could go with recyclable food packaging. This refers to plates and dishware that are made from bio-degradable material instead of from plastic.

One great recyclable food packaging option you should consider is palm leaf plates. Using large banana and palm leaves as plates is a common green practice in places like South India. You can take a leaf (pardon the pun!) from these cultures by using disposable palm leaf plates that are heat pressed into plate shape.

Recycle paper

Obviously, this is more applicable to party guests, but hosts should try to encourage guests to bring gifts wrapped using environmentally friendly alternatives. As a guest, use old paper shopping bags, or recycle old wrapping paper in order to wrap your gifts.

As a host, make use of paper party bags as an alternative to plastic when handing out keepsakes. Your guests can then recycle their bags once they have finished with them. 

Use flowers from the local flower market for décor

Flowers are the quintessential party décor. They work for nearly any kind of party at all. For formal events, look into using local flowers from the flower markets instead of importing more exotic varieties at vastly higher cost to yourself. Imported flowers have a high carbon footprint, thanks to the transport and refrigeration involved to keep them healthy and blooming.

Related articles:
Entertain in Your Outdoor Kitchen
6 Ideas for Date Night: Thinking Outside The Box
Over The Weekend~Sprite Cake