Green Your Party

Throw a party without contributing to landfills by following these tips.

January/February 2004
By Natural Home Magazine Staff 
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If you’re throwing a party for the Super Bowl—or any other occasion—don’t use ­disposable plates and utensils just because they seem simpler. Regular dishes are just as fast to assemble, and you can always enlist post-game volunteers to do dishes. Check our organizing list for a no-waste shindig.

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Plates, cups, bowls

Glass, pottery, and wood are reusable and easily washed, and won’t clog the landfills for the next 100 years. If you must buy disposable cups or plates, purchase post-consumer recycled paper rather than Styrofoam.

Utensils 

Forego the toxic plastics and stick with stainless steel.

Napkins 

Cloth are best even for informal events. Make your own napkins using the good parts of a soiled tablecloth.

Towels 

Dishtowels and rags are better cleaner-uppers than paper towels because they absorb more, you can reuse them, and they don’t waste trees. Buy only recycled, unbleached, dioxin-free paper towels.

Drinks

Give up soda and other beverages sold in plastic bottles. Drink water filtered at home and serve fruit juices in pitchers. Bottled and canned beverages can at least be recycled. An alternative to punch or soda is to make a strong batch of fruity herbal tea and mix it with equal parts apple juice. Chill and serve.

Condiments

Buy mustard, ketchup and salad dressings in glass jars rather than plastic, and opt for organic over conventional products.

Ideas from The Garden of Eating: A Produce-Dominated Diet & Cookbook, by Rachel Albert-Matesz & Don Matesz (Planetary Press, 2004).

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