Most everyone has taken a vested interest in reducing their carbon foot print. Part of being able to accomplish that is incorporating “green” living into all aspects of your life, including party planning! We’ve put together some tips to help creater greener, more eco friendly events.
Choosing A Venue
Pick a location centrally located, that is easily accessed by mass transit. If guests are flying in, encourage your guests to choose arrival times based in a certain window of time so that you can make fewer trips to the airport. When appropriate, suggest carpooling.
Invitations
If the majority of your guests have access to email, the ‘greenest’ invitations you can choose are online invitations. There is no waste involved! You can also set up an event website for easy access to event details. Check out PurpleTrail’s customizable, beautiful online invitations. If you prefer a more formal paper invite, choose printers that use soy based ink and use paper that is made from post consumer recycled products or 100% cotton paper. Consider a post card option as it uses less paper and does not require an envelope.
Food
Try to select finger friendly foods, therefore eliminating a need for utnesils.
Buy local organic foods. Hit up your local farmers market.
If finger food is not appropriate use sturdy reusable flatware (either metal or hard plastic) Be sure to provide clearly marked receptacles for them.
If having your event catered, choose caterers who use durable reusable plates and flatware. Also look for cotton table linens and other materials that are easily washed and reused.
Also make sure the provide ways to recycle wine bottles, aluminium cans, and cardboard.
Serve beverages is punchpowls, pitchers and urns. If you must serve in individual containers, make sure they are recycable in nature (cans, glass, plastic bottles with 1 or 2 listed on the bottom near the chasing arrows recycle sign)
Provide and clearly mark seperate receptacles for recycling and for garbarge
If you use paper plates, don’t forget that you can compost them and in many cities you can add them to your yard waste bin.
Party Favors and Pictures
If you intent to hand out party favors, choose things that are made of post consumer products and that can be recycled again. Things like reusable shopping bags are great and useful. There are lots of gifts out there that can be personalized and eco friendly for your event. If possible, avoid using disposable cameras.
Use digital cameras and email pictures. It eliminates the need for prints that may go unused and each person can decided if they want to print out pictures for framing. Beau-coup.com has beautiful eco friendly wedding favors that will be perfect for your celebration.
Decorations
Choose things that are not theme specific that could be used for future events. Try using live plants or flowers instead of cut flowers for center pieces. The plants can double as parting gifts for guests. Here are some more green gift decoration ideas.
For tables if you do not want to use reusable linens, consider using fabric or paper that can be written on by guests. It can then be reused next year (for something like reunions) or given to the honoree as a keepsake(like at a retirement or birthday party).
The main theme of planning a more eco friendly party is to create less waste. By using things that can be reused, recycled or renewed will help to eliminate uneccessary waste and therefore taking less of a toal on our resources. Check out our Green Party ideas. Maybe your next event will be a green one!
