Low or No Waste Holiday Parties

‘Tis the season – to create about 25% more garbage! Seriously, that is how much more trash Americans create between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day according to the Environmental Protection Agency.  Ready to do your part in reducing that number? Follow these tips for less to no waste:

• Start with the invitations – e-mail them instead of using paper invitations. If you think electronic invitations are impersonal or lack warmth, put a little time and effort into it and make a short & funny video of you or your family singing the invitation to your guests, or use an adorable photo of your child or pet to deliver the message. (Don’t forget to mention that your party is going to be zero waste and should anyone grace you with a gift, you can kindly request that it is something that does not leave any trash behind).
• If the holiday lights go up, make sure they are LED. An LED light uses 1/6 of the energy of a traditional incandescent mini light bulb, saves a bundle in your electric bill (a string of 100 LED lights costs over seven times less to light per month), lasts over three times longer and is more durable.
• Use decorations that can be used from year-to-year, or venture out into the woods to collect some of nature’s own ornaments (without hurting the plants, of course). There are plenty of old, wacky-shaped Manzanita branches lying around that you can wrap some LED lights around for festive room décor. If you have leftover candle bits, you can make some new candles out of the old to bring some shine to your party, along with some edible or compostable decorations for added pizzazz.
• No one is excited about doing dishes after a party. Yet, using “real” china is the most sustainable way to present your delectables. If you don’t have enough, shop around the local thrift stores for an eclectic array of dishes. Or – borrow from a friend or a neighbor. Or – ask everyone to bring their own dishes and incorporate them somehow into your entertainment (who brings the tackiest holiday plate?). I have yet to have a party where two or more people didn’t offer to help with the dishes at the end. If your friends don’t do that, maybe it’s time to invite a different set next year?
• If you are truly stubborn about the need to use matching dishes or absolutely refuse to deal with them altogether, compostable food ware is now widely available at many grocery stores.  Ray’s and Whole Foods carry compostables for a smaller gathering while Cash & Carry (at 1500 NE 3^rd Street in Bend) has a wide selection of compostable food ware for larger events.  Check out our info on Planning A Zero Waste Event for more details.
• Instead of paper napkins and tablecloths, opt for ones made of cloth, even for an informal gathering. Again, the local thrift stores are a good source for replenishing your own stock. Should you end up with dishes and linens after the holidays you don’t want to store for another year or use ever again, donate them back and consider the purchase an inexpensive rental of party supplies.
• Whether it’s the compostable dishes, bottles, cans or food scraps at the end of the party that need to be sorted, make sure you have a helper directing the sorting, with clear signs to further help the process. Believe it or not, sorting gets really confusing for some, especially after a party.
• If you have more food left than you can handle or the guests will accept as a carry-out, consider taking it to a local homeless shelter or soup kitchen– please contact them to see what is accepted.

And then: let’s get this party started!