Recycled Events Planning

icon1 Posted by Snow in Eco-News, Green Home, Green Shopping on 10 2nd, 2009 | no responses
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Listening to a public events planner host a planning meeting recently, I observed that in no part of the agenda was there any method to re-use or recycling materials, pans, serving implements, materials or ingredients. The entire catering initiative was stemming from consumer store bought items and all custom purchased ingredients. This is just not the way to go. Sustainable party givers know how to resource and re-use.
Next time around use the following tips for party planning and event hosting to conserve resources and materials.

1. Get Donations

Source hostesses you know, people who throw weddings, or housewives sick to the back teeth of their punch bowl, party ware, or plastic wrapped cocktail glasses that never ever got used. Think every time you look to purchase or order some item if it can be sourced used or for free. Call in your favors and get or borrow tablecloths, napkins, buffet ware or chafing dishes. Find a booster club person who knows steam tables or trays. Getting the dining elements of the event planning out of the way shaves expenses, decor comes next.

2. Check Ebay

Restaurant liquidations and wholesalers selling goods online mean that certain volumes of party supplies can be had for cheap. Check out who is getting what sold and find a seller who you feel comfortable making an offer with. Bidding through instant message means you can give your best offer for goods on sale. Find Ebay items with no bids because the seller can close the item is no bids are present.

Ebay can be a good source of partyware, tablecloths, used catering supplies, silverware, plastic flatware, napkins, or suites and sets of the above in special colors. Ebay can have notifications of materials from suppliers near you so you can pick up the stuff and save on shipping. Remember, if you rescue an entire event planning suite you can resell or re-use the whole later on or pass it on to someone else.

3. Thrift Shops

Home foreclosures and population exodus from some areas mean prime thrift shop pickings are available. Thrift shops are excellent ways to re-use second owner stuff. Nice baking dishes that double as serving dishes, real plate sets or dessert plate sets can be had for a cost relative to the paper stuff you’d throw away. Lots of dyed napkins get thrown out unused and unopened, so find a way to utilize the “unwanted’ colors and save a bundle.

4. Less Cars, More Parking

If everybody brings their car, the green purpose of the gig is substantially defeated. Find ways to group invites by carpooled guests so the street doesn’t get packed for your “green” party. Use rideshare services to cut down on the carbon footprint of your next event and contact services that can drive people home who have had somewhat to drink or need assistance.

5. Reduce Paper Usage
Parties generally involve paper decorations, streamers, placemats, napkins, wrapping paper for gifts, ribbon, tape and more. Try to go green and use garden or nature decorations, colored fruit or vegetables with food, accents which can be eaten or re-used in some way. Send invitations by email, and try imagine what the trash bag for the entire party will look like. If the flatware is washable and the plates go in the dishwasher, and the napkins can be washed and nothing you serve has bones or wrappers or foils, you could be hosting a green friendly event.
 
6. Use Food in Renewable Ways
Before buying out the baking aisle of your grocery store, stop and take a look at what you are using for sweetening, coloring and flavoring. Is there a lesser carbon footprint way to go about it? Fruit juices have a ton of flavor and sweetness, and natural organic ingredients can be used many ways in place of refined sugar. Vegetables like beet juice and carrots make excellent inks.
Green chlorophyll makes any spinach or broccoli leaves render green ink. Used with vinegar this can make extraordinarily colorful and “green” wrapping paper or a custom stamped tablecloth.

7. Source the Decorations Naturally

Use garden potpourri for fragrance and rescue grounded backyard fruit from the neighborhood if possible. Tie dye old sheets for custom tablecloths and/or paint rescued thrift shop glasses with a party motif in water based tempera paints.

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