A big thanks to today’s guest blogger, Tara Miller, who shows us how to throw a super fun birthday party, while keeping it as eco-friendly as possible!
Throwing a party is fun, especially when a birthday cake is at the center of it. However, parties can also be incredibly wasteful and damaging to the environment. Between all of the paper plates, plastic cutlery, and throw-away decorations that birthday bashes typically produce, it is easy to see why these types of celebrations are not typically viewed as green activities. However, you can change all of that with your next big gathering, thanks to these 10 easy tips that can make your birthday bash an eco-friendly one.
Organic vegan food from WorldFare at the EcoStiletto two-year anniversary party at Rolling Greens nursery in Los Angeles, photo by greenlagirl, via Flickr
#1 – Cook with local and organic produce. To make your party menu more green, consider only using produce that is in season, as out-of-season produce typically has to be flown in from out of the area, adding to the ingredient’s carbon footprint. A good rule of thumb to ensure that your menu is eco-friendly is to plan dishes that only use locally grown and organic ingredients. This could be a good excuse to visit your local farmer’s market! In addition, local and organic produce typically tastes better, too.
#2 – Get your food catered from a green restaurant. Even if you do not plan on braving the oven, stove, or grill for the party, you can still make your menu green. Look into local restaurants that specialize in preparing organic and local dishes for catering. You can find these on community review websites like Yelp.com, or find completely green restaurants at DineGreen.com, the website for the Green Restaurant Association.
#3- Serve eco-friendly wines. Produce and livestock are not the only things that can be green on the menu – there are plenty of delicious eco-friendly wines and spirits, too! Look into locally produced brews for party drinks, or shop for organic red and white wines the next time you are in the liquor store. Many vineyards now produce special wines created without the use of pesticides, and some are bottling these wines in recycled glass bottles as well, further cutting down on the final product’s carbon footprint.
#4 – Send e-invitations rather than paper ones. Paper invitations are wasteful, and most recipients of paper invitations simply throw them into the trash after they have RSVP’ed. To cut down on the waste of paper invitations, send all of your party invites through e-mail or text messages. You will likely receive a quicker response that way as well!
#5 – Set up a decorative recycling center near the trash can. Party goers will be more willing to recycle if you make it easy. Set up a fun, decorated recycling bin for beer cans and bottles next to the trash can. This way, those who are looking to toss something into the trash will have the immediate option to recycle instead.
Davina Hawthorne. Sustainable UK fashion on show during AltaRoma fashion week, in Rome, photo by UK in Italy, via Flickr
#6 – Get your party dress from a thrift store, or consider an upcycled frock. A fun party dress is a must for birthday girls. If you simply do not have anything in your closet for the celebration, head to your favorite thrift or consignment store to hunt for a pre-loved frock. New clothes use up raw materials, and fuel has to be burned to put the pieces together as well. However, when you buy a pre-worn dress, you increase an item’s closet life and cut down on the energy needed to produce a new clothing item. Upcycled dresses, which are dresses made from recycled fabrics (often from other dresses!), are another green alternative to purchasing a completely new outfit.
DIY piñatas made with biodegradable natural latex balloons. Tutorial and photos courtesy of Danny Seo Media Ventures.
#7 – Have fun with an eco-friendly piñata. Using a biodegradable latex balloon, recycled newspaper, and leaves, you can create a fun earth-friendly pinata, according to these instructions from Epicurious [originally posted at Danny Seo's blog]. As an added bonus, the pinata is both fun to make and smash!
#8 – Minimize trash by serving on reusable plates and cutlery. While the ease of using disposable plates and cutlery can be tempting, resist giving in. Disposable serving materials can add up to a huge amount of trash, which will only further contribute to ever-expanding landfills. Instead, use your birthday bash as an opportunity to break out the fun plates and silverware you have been accumulating. You can even invest in a set of cutlery and plates that can be used in your future get-togethers.
#9 – Give away fun birthday swag bags stuffed with green favors. Purchase several reusable grocery bags as swag bags and stuff them with eco-friendly soaps, nail polishes, wine samplers, and much more. This will introduce your party goers to the fun of being green and may inspire several of them to adopt more environmentally sound habits as well. You could even decorate for your party with potted herbs and flowers and give those away at the end of the night.
birthday party on the beach, photo by Shai Barzilay, via Flickr
#10 – Hold your party outdoors or use soy or beeswax candles for lighting. Natural lighting and candle light will cut down on the energy needed to keep light bulbs lit. In addition, these sources of lighting are typically much more flattering than indoor lighting! When choosing candles for evening light, however, steer away from paraffin candles, as these can contribute to air pollutants.
For more ideas on how to throw an eco-friendly birthday party or other event, check out resources like Celebrate Green, a great book chock full of 232 pages of eco-friendly party ideas, or visit Danny Seo’s blog, Daily Danny. Danny is a green lifestyle expert (he created that eco-friendly piñata tutorial linked above), and he has some great ideas on eco-friendly party planning!
This guest contribution was submitted by Tara Miller, who regularly writes for psychology degree. She especially loves hearing back from her readers. Questions or comments can be sent to: miller.tara23@gmail.com.
