Graduation season is around the corner and we often choose to celebrate this milestone by throwing a party. Parties can be a wonderful chance to come together but can also create a lot of unnecessary waste that ends up in our local landfill. Consider implementing some of these low-waste tips for your next party.
Decorations
When considering decorations, think about what will happen to the decorations at the end of their life. Can these decorations be reused, donated, recycled or composted?
For example, yard banners can be made from a material type called vinyl. Vinyl is not accepted for recycling and is a very difficult material to reuse. Instead, opt for signs and posters made out of paper, which can be recycled or consider using window paint to write a custom message to avoid waste altogether!
For table decoration, consider getting fresh flowers in the graduate’s school colors to use as centerpieces instead of single-use items such as balloons or plastic centerpieces. Confetti can be a fun table topper, but it often ends up making a mess and is difficult to clean up. You should consider making natural confetti by sourcing leaves or dried flowers. After the party, you can place your natural confetti in your flowerbed or compost it.
If you want to include tablecloths, consider a reusable option over the plastic disposable ones. Ask your friends and family if they have any tablecloths you can borrow for the occasion and be sure to wash them before you return them. Thrift stores often have a good variety of tablecloths, and they don’t have to match either!
Food
There are so many excellent catering companies in Columbus. If you are relying on a caterer to provide food, there will, unfortunately, be a lot of waste afterward. Often catering companies use containers like large aluminum pans and plastic cake containers that aren’t recyclable. Whenever possible, consider making dishes at home to save money and cut down on waste.
For example, a vegetable tray can be made days in advance by buying the vegetables separately and cutting them yourself. Any type of platter will work to serve vegetables on, and it will save you money in the long run! If you have several people in your family who love to cook, why not ask them to make a couple of meals to contribute to the party and call that the gift to the graduate?
Dinnerware
Reusables are a great low-waste option for parties. You could ask your friends and family to drop off reusable plates, cups and other dinnerware prior to the event and return them afterward. There is also a company called We Wash The Dishes that will provide all the reusables for the event and wash them for someone else to use!
If you choose to use single-use disposables, try to find plates, cups, bowls and utensils that are BPI-certified compostable and take everything to one of the FREE 30+ food waste drop-off sites so they can be composted. Throwing compostable items, including food, into the trash means they will slowly decay and not be turned into fertilizer through the composting process.
Do your best not to overbuy on food. This is hard, as you want to ensure everyone has enough food. Make a plan for leftover food if you should have it. Ask your guests if they want to take some food home with them or make room in your freezer to store it away for a future meal. Items such as beans, meats, pasta, cakes and cheese can be frozen for up to 6 months and maintain freshness. For more tips on how to use your freezer to store food, visit SaveMoreThanFood.org.
If composting is not part of the waste diversion strategy for the party, you can still purchase items such as paper plates, paper, plastic or metal cups, aluminum cans, and plastic bottles to recycle afterward. If the host venue does not offer a recycling collection, take the recyclables to one of SWACO’s 50+ recycling drop-off locations for FREE. Every little bit helps reduce reliance on the Franklin County Landfill!
Waste Stations
Waste collection stations don’t have to be fancy to get the job done. The most important thing for any collection station is to have clear signage at about eye level or on the lid that tells people what goes where. Custom signage can be developed for FREE on RecycleRight.org here. If the party is being hosted at a household, a rolled cart for recycling could even be used as long as signage was placed above the cart. Click here to learn about best practices for container setups.
Your graduate (and planet) will thank you for your waste reduction efforts!
