Eco Events: Hosting a Summer Soiree

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Summer officially started last week and goes into full bloom this Sunday, July 1st!  It’s officially party season!  If you’re hosting a party this summer, it’s easy to make it an eco-event.  With a few smart moves, you can make your event conscious and chic.  Here are our favorite ideas for making your next summer soiree a fun, eco-friendly gathering.

When your aim is to host an earth minded event, opting for reusable and minimal waste products should be your top priority – think paper napkins, real plates, silverware, and reusable glasses.  Plastic solo cups may be easy, but aren’t good for the Earth or particularly attractive.  Try using acrylic glasses in fun colors, bonus, they won’t break if dropped at an outdoor event.  Or try this wedding party idea: collect mason jars and tie a ribbon around each one with your guests’ names tied on a little slip of paper.  They can take them home as a party favor or you can store them for next time.  You can also shop for inexpensive pieces at the thrift store.  Silverware is often sold by the piece very inexpensively as are odds and ends of china and dishware.  If you don’t have room to store all the extra pieces, you can donate them back for good karma. 

For drinks, large quantities are your friend.  They allow you to buy in bulk, which saves materials, and money and they allow your friends to serve themselves, which keeps the drinks flowing.  Make batches of a couple different cocktails and one non-alcoholic one and let everyone dispense their own.  Let guests sip their drinks with paper straws instead of plastic.  Paper straws have vintage flair, come in pretty colors, and are biodegradable.

For food – anything goes!  Try to shop local if possible or let guests bring a dish to pass.  If you’ll be serving food outside, make sure to set cold dishes on trays of ice and keep bugs out by keeping everything covered.  Use mesh dome covers, cake domes, or even upside down Tupperware.  Make sure to remove promptly so you don’t have to discard spoiled food.  If you have too much to save for yourself, box up the leftovers and pass them out to guests on the way home.

If you really want to go the extra mile, instead of party favors opt for carbon credits to off set your emissions or donate a few dollars in each guests name to an environmental charity. 

Have you thrown an eco-party?  Share your tips with us in the comments!