Parties are one of the biggest culprits when it comes to creating unnecessary waste. It might be easier, and possibly cheaper, to grab disposable everything for your next big bash, but is it really worth it? Why not go all in and pledge to throw an entirely zero-waste party? Contrary to what you might think, it can be done without too much difficulty — here’s how.
Invitations
It’s about time to ditch the classic themed paper invitations, as they are almost always thrown away immediately. For casual parties, it’s pretty easy to invite people to your event via social media or email, which also allows you to organize and manage RSVPs all in one place. If you still like the idea of sending out personalized invitations, opt for an evite service that will allow you to design something that matches your theme.
On that note, I do agree that extra-special occasions, like weddings, graduations and first birthdays, may warrant an actual paper invite that people can hold in their hands. If you decide to go this route, stretch your DIY muscles by making your own seeded paper. Guests will likely be thrilled to receive a card that they can plant anywhere instead of tossing it, and you can customize it with all sorts of seeds, from wildflowers to edible herbs. Plus, it’ll be a great way to recycle all that paper that you inevitably have lying around.
Decorations
Isn’t it just so easy to hit up your local party store and snag a bunch of decorations that fit your theme perfectly? Yes, it is super easy, but it’s also super wasteful, as most of it will be discarded when the party is over. It’s pretty generic, too, and your party is better than that. Going with nondisposable decor may seem like a far-fetched (or unaffordable) option, but wasteless party decorating does not have to break the bank.
You can start off with items you already have, like string lights, glass vases, and various toys and decorative trinkets. For those who are crafty, there are more ways to make party decorations with recycled materials than there are Pinterest pins in the universe. If you’ve got an excess of a certain thing lying around (like mason jars, magazines, newspapers or plastic bottles), you can do a custom search for DIY party decorations made from that material. A few minutes (or hours, if you’re a fall-into-the-rabbit-hole type of person like myself) will leave you with plenty of ideas on how to customize recycled household materials to fit any theme you can imagine.
Servingware
Yes, paper plates and plastic forks are convenient. There’s no denying that fact. However, we all know they’re not great for the earth, and there’s definitely a better way to go about getting food and drink into your guests’ bellies. Most of us don’t have a coordinated fine china set that’s meant to feed the masses, but that’s okay. I promise, the only one who really cares if everything matches is you. Your guests will just be happy that there are refreshments in the first place.
If you don’t…
