How To Throw An Eco Friendly Birthday Party

Is it possible to throw an eco friendly birthday party? Sure! Read on for some tips.

It’s no secret that birthday parties can generate a lot of waste. From food waste to single use products to excess plastic, it’s a recipe for disaster. However, it doesn’t have to be. You don’t have to make lots of sacrifices to have an eco friendly birthday party, you just need to adapt. With a few changes, you can make sure you reduce your waste and still have a great time.

5 Tips For Hosting An Eco Friendly Birthday Party

An eco friendly birthday party can be done on a budget; all you need is a bit of preparation. With these 5 tips, you can massively reduce your waste, too.

1. Write A List

Writing a list can help you stay organised and keep you on track. It will also help to reduce waste and prevent you from buying more than what you need. If you’re buying food and drinks, find out in advance what people like and make a note of any food allergies or intolerances.

2. Go For Reusable & Eco Friendly Decorations

Balloons might look pretty, but they’re not great for the environment. They’re usually made of rubber or latex, and can take between 6 months to 4 years to break down. Since they can be a danger to wildlife, it’s generally a good idea to cut down on balloons or avoid them altogether.

So, what can you do instead? You can get creative and make your own decorations. You’ll probably need string or rope, paper, colouring pencils or pens, glue, tape and card. If you want to use confetti or tissue paper, look for biodegradable options. You can find some great birthday decor ideas here.

If you don’t want to make them yourself, that’s not a problem. Try and look for second hand decorations on eBay or in your local charity shops. You could also ask neighbours, friends or family members if they have any decorations they’re no longer using. You’ll be surprised what you could find!

The most sustainable thing that you can do is reuse decorations as much as possible, so bring them out year after year! When you’re done with them give them to a friend, donate them, or list them on Olio.

Read: 10 Reusable Products That Save You Money

3. Ditch The Single Use Tableware

Paper plates and plastic cutlery saves time washing up, but it’s not so great for the environment. In general, single use products are bad because they create so much waste. Switching to reusable bowls, plates and cutlery is better for the environment and it saves you money because you’re using what you already have.

If you don’t have enough plates and cutlery, consider asking parents, family members or friends if you can borrow any. And if you’re worried about the mountain of washing up afterwards, ask for help. Seeing as you’re the one hosting the party, I’m sure many people would be happy to lend a hand!

4. Send Out Invites Digitally

Party invites are essential, but do they have to be made out of paper? Most people will throw away party invitations once it’s all over, which creates a lot of unnecessary waste. Since most things are sent online now, you might as well send out the invites digitally.

You can create the invites using Canva, which is very simple to use. It’s a platform that allows you to create your design for free, save it as an image, and then send it out to everyone on your invite list. You can do this via email or social media; whatever works best. Another advantage to digital invitations is they won’t get lost, unlike paper invites which are often misplaced.

5. Don’t Waste Leftovers

When you throw a party, it’s difficult to predict how much everyone will eat. If you under order, you risk people still feeling hungry by the end of the party. That’s why many people tend to over order and end up with lots of leftovers. However, that doesn’t have to be a bad thing. There are lots of ways that you can use up leftovers.

Firstly, you can ask anyone at the party if they’d like to take home some of the leftovers. This is a great tip if you have too many slices of cake that you know won’t be eaten. Plus, most people won’t turn down free cake.

Alternatively, you can store leftovers in airtight containers and eat them over the next couple of days. Some things can be frozen, so check the packaging to see what can be stored in the freezer. If there’s too much food leftover, you could list it on Olio. This is a free sharing app where you can list food and items you don’t need and give them away to people in the local community.