You don’t need an occasion to celebrate. A family get-together is always special. You are spending time with your loved ones and creating memories that will last forever. Planning a party takes up lots of time, and at the end, you need to ensure that every guest leaves your home feeling special and happy. Of course, if you were a guest, you would want it too, wouldn’t you?
In one of our last posts, we spoke about conscious celebrations, about how important it is to keep traditions alive and celebrate with awareness, compassion, and gratitude so that we can make occasions memorable.
We’ve listed some tips for you that can help you organize an excellent eco-friendly party that will not only be inexpensive but also ensure that you do your two bits to keep the planet green.
Use suitable alternatives.
If you are entertaining guests and using disposable plates and cutlery, use natural alternatives like biodegradable plates made from dried leaves of areca nut. These disposable alternatives do not cause a landfill. Label bins and keep for the dry and wet waste that may accumulate. This way, you can recycle the wet waste if required.
Vidapaper tip: You can also ask your friends to get any biodegradable cutlery they may be having at home.
Buy what you want and what you need!
Yes, we do know that arranging parties, as well as hosting parties, can be a lot of fun. Don’t indulge in impulse purchases. We suggest that you buy only what you need. Make a list of the things that you need and take stock of what you already have. Make a note of what you can borrow from a friend. Once you have the information in place, you will know the exact requirements.
Vidapaper Tip: When you are out shopping, do carry your own bags so that you do not buy or use plastic bags. Plastic bags cause a landfill and take years to decompose.
Eco gifts for Celebrations
Handmade gifts are the best gifts. Not only do they show the effort that went into making the gift, but they also make it unique and special for everyone who gets it. Have you considered coloring the empty glass bottle and using it as a gift? Gift wrap your presents in newspapers to save the cost of wrapping paper. If you are artistic enough, you can choose to color the newspapers too!
VidaPaper Tip: Do you have some empty glass jars at home? Color them with glass paint and offer them to guests who may want to carry back some leftovers home.
Minimise energy levels
You can plan parties for the day to save energy and consumption of electricity. In summer, a good option would be using a solar oven instead of the electric burners to cook food. If you are having a party in the evening, consider the option of decorating your home with natural soy or beeswax candles for a part of the time. Not only would they look beautiful, but they also burn longer than conventional candles.
Cooking green food
Buy your veggies and other ingredients you may need at the local markets. Food produced and distributed locally requires less transportation, which decreases our carbon footprint. When you buy local produce, you also provide them with an income.
VidaPaper Tip: If you have planned well in advance, you can also consider stocking up some ingredients a couple of days earlier so that you are not burdened with heavy shopping lists!
All of us love partying and celebrations. It is an excellent way of catching up with friends and family and building lasting and beautiful memories. But when you party, do it the eco way so that you lessen the carbon footprint on the planet and also do your bit to save the planet for future generations to come.
