Earth-Friendly Cheers: A Handy Guide To Eco-Conscious Partying
Formal dinners, garden parties, intimate gatherings and poolside dance nights are the highlight of the social season where friends and closest relatives come together to hang out and make merry. But throwing a party also means there are lots of foods, drinks, party favours and decor accessories in place, which can potentially create waste, not all of which is eco-friendly or biodegradable. To avoid this harm to the environment, over time, many conscious party planning folks have come up with different ideas for organising earth friendly celebrations to ensure that partying happens without harming the natural ecosystem.
Earth friendly celebrations would constitute anything from using biodegradable or recyclable cutlery to decorating your party space in sustainable ways to using locally crafted beer or organic wine. All of these are tiny hacks to contribute to environment conservation and doing our little bit to protect the ecology. And fret not, these earth friendly celebrations are just as fun as any other gathering if not more, and comprise multiple activities you can undertake through the evening or brunch gathering.
Read on below for a handy guide to celebrating in more eco-friendly and conservative ways the next time you are planning to host a party:
Outdoor Venue
If you are planning a social event in early spring or summer, an outdoor venue like a garden or lawn or even a meadow in the forest abutting your farmhouse or family home is the perfect space to bring people together. In the outdoors, you have little to worry regarding lights or electricity especially at a luncheon. Even at nighttime, you can go with minimal lighting constituting fairy lights or lamps that will cast a warm glow. Check for a full moon before planning the party to enjoy the moonlight without requiring an electricity source.
Zero Waste Cocktails And Food
Food and drink waste is one of the biggest concerns during any party planning endeavour. Not only is it essential to plan the quantity of food and drink you would need to cater to guests and avoid wastage, it is also crucial to present your feast by using every inch of the fruits and veggies that go into making these delicacies. With drinks too, cocktails prepared using lime juice can be garnished with the same lime skin or zest and mint sprigs can be used in their entirety instead of just the leaves to serve zero waste tipples.
Reusable Barware
It is quite tempting to go for disposable cutlery when you are hosting a party in the garden or by the pool. But plates, glasses and spoons that are non-biodegradable can be harmful for the environment. Instead, go for steel cups or acrylic glasses which are reusable and can be washed, dried and stored for your next party. You can also go with upcycled wooden mugs or tumblers for more eco-friendly feels. Also use cloth napkins and tablecloths for the table instead of one-time-use table mats.
Outdoorsy Activities
Another way to enjoy an earth friendly party is to plan outdoor activities like a beach clean-up, a short hike, gardening or planting saplings and nature walks where you can revel in all the biodiversity of the region you inhabit. These activities also foster bonding and stimulate conversation so when you reach a hilltop after a hike and lay out your picnic spread, you will surely have gotten to know your friends a bit better.
Sustainable Decor
When you are hosting a party indoors you can still go the eco-friendly route by opting for decor ideas that limit the usage of non-reusable or disposable items. You can go for twine and barks as decoratives as well as local flowers, potted plants and reusable party banners. You can also place woollen throws or shawls on your indoor seating that you might have woven yourself.
Seasonal Foods
One of the best ways to celebrate in earth friendly ways is to be in tune with the weather and the shifting seasons. Whenever the seasons change, the foods we consume also undergo certain shifts. In sync with these patterns, go for those fruits and veggies which are found abundantly during the seasons in which you are hosting the gathering. This means, in summers, you can go heavy on tropical fruits like mangoes or pineapples, and highlight them in your cocktails.
