Eco-Friendly Entertaining Ideas

When planning a party, the last thing on your mind is incorporating eco-friendly entertaining ideas. However, with just a few earth-friendly modifications and an eye toward reducing waste, your next party can be full of ways to use less of the planet's resources. From invitations to cleanup, planning an eco-friendly party is all in the details. At each phase of planning, think about what you can do to reduce, reuse and recycle so that the party is more environmentally friendly but still gives guests a memorable time.

Location. Think about how to reduce wasteful practices from the very start. When you are purchasing invitations, look for ones made from recycled paper. An even more eco-friendly invitation requires no paper at all-electronic invitations. Several Web sites feature electronic invitations with endless choices for designs.

Choose a location that is central for everyone. If your home is out of the way and guests will have to drive far to get there, consider a change of venue. Find a park that is closer to the majority of the party guests, or select a conference center, restaurant or other venue that is near a subway line or bus station. You can find venues that reduce transportation costs and emissions, whether your party is for six people or sixty. Regardless of where the party will be, encourage guests to carpool to save resources. Areas that are close enough to walk or bike are even better.

Decorations. To create a visual impact without much environmental impact, consider the following tips:

• Use candles or LED lights instead of regular bulbs. 
• Schedule your party for the day instead of the evening to take advantage of the natural light.
• Set out potted plants or flowers that have been grown locally.
• Re-use decorations from past parties, such as paper lanterns or tiki torches.
• Try real fruit for both centerpieces and as part of the buffet.
• Create centerpieces that can also be sent home with guests as party favors, such as colorful seed packets or polished river rocks in glass votives.

Tableware. You can make the most environmental impact through your tableware choices. Beginning with the table cover, think about what will least impact the environment. Choose a cloth that is easily reused; for example, a red tablecloth can be brought out for Christmas, Valentine's Day and Independence Day, as well as a variety of birthday parties.

Look to use tableware that you already have or can borrow, and, for large venues, consider renting tableware from a caterer or other party supply service. Stay away from disposable tableware, as it will all end up in the garbage. Even cloth napkins are better than disposable ones when it comes to reducing waste. Think cloth instead of paper, but paper instead of plastic. If you must use disposable tableware, at least paper will break down more quickly than plastic, which can remain in a landfill for decades.

Food and Drinks. The hottest foods on the market today are grown under the label of "organic." This means that the farmers who produced the food did not use any chemical fertilizers and pesticides in the growing process. Purchasing organic fruits, vegetables, and even wines from organic companies supports green business practices.

Another eco-friendly entertaining practice to consider when it comes to choosing the menu for food and drinks is to go local. So many resources are used in transporting food items across the country and internationally that buying locally produced items really makes an impact. Buy from a farmer's market where most of the food items were grown and harvested within a few miles.

Plan the party menu to incorporate seasonal foods. If you are eating seasonally, you're automatically choosing food that is less expensive to buy. Even local luxuries, such as wine, chocolates and cheeses, make a big difference. Become familiar with what produce is grown in your area and what seasons are best. If you want to have strawberry tarts in the middle of winter, you aren't making an environmentally wise choice, but local pumpkins may be readily available for delicious tarts, pie or bread.

Waste. When it comes to the party itself, encourage guests to recycle. Have clearly marked receptacles for aluminum cans, glass, plastic and paper products and even a container for partly eaten food earmarked for the compost pile. Set out several cans so people don't have to crowd around a single area to dispose of their trash. Send leftover food home with guests, and let them enjoy the delicious dishes the next day.