Happy Earth Day everyone! I was inspired to write an “eco-friendly” blog because on the Path train this morning the TV told me that by taking the Path instead of driving or taking a bus I’m helping to eliminate 36 million TONS of green house gases being put into the atmosphere. Since I take it everyday, I’m saving 1,597 pounds of it just myself which I must say is pretty awesome. Yes, I am a nerd. There are a ton of other ways that I can be less wasteful though, and I was writing them down on the way to work. In the grand scheme of things, parties tend to be very wasteful events. As fun as they are to plan, it’s important to keep the Earth in mind while you’re doing it. Here are five simple steps to help keep your party green.
1. Look for biodegradable as well as water soluble confetti. Biodegradable confetti is great, but water soluble confetti is even better because it will dissolve when it comes in contact with water. This will also help if you are having your party outside, no one never likes to clean up confetti left overs.
2. Keep your party favors environmentally friendly. Give your guests a favor they can re-use like mini flower pots with your favorite flower or seeds in biodegradable packaging. You could also make a donation to an Earth friendly foundation and print up notes on recycled paper to give to each guest as they leave.
3. Use dishes as opposed to paper products. I know this sounds terrible but if you have a dishwasher there is no reason to not do this! Paper products, even if they are made from recycled materials create unnecessary waste. Make sure that your guests pick a plate and stick to it for the rest of the evening, or have your guests over for a sit down dinner.
4. Use organic flowers. Buying organic flowers helps reduce the damage done to the environment by harmful pesticides and trust me, they are just as beautiful and there are just as many options as flowers grown with pesticides.
5. Can the balloons, go garland. Instead of using balloons that can harm the environment when disposed, use garland made from recycled materials. Etsy sells tons of unique strings of garland made to last, so you can reuse it for many occasions to come or even better… make your own from elements you already have laying around the house.