Holding an environmentally friendly party

Whether you are holding a street party with your neighbours, or a celebratory gathering with family and friends, getting together doesn’t need to damage the planet. Here are a few top tips to help your special occasion become a little greener:

Ask your guests to support your celebration being a green one! Ask them to bring their own re-fillable water bottles, reusable cups and cutlery and encourage them to walk or cycle to your event if they can, or use public transport if not.
Avoid single-use packaging. This includes plastic straws, cling film, stryofoam or polystyrene packaging. If you’re bringing food to share, cover with foil (which can be recycled) or reusable beeswax wraps.
If you don’t have enough cups, mugs or glasses yourself, encourage people to bring their own so you can avoid single-use cups. And buy drinks in cans or glass wherever possible, as both can be easily recycled.
If you’re giving your guests a memento of the event, make sure it’s a sustainable one. A pack of wildflower seeds or nesting wool for birds and hedgehogs make great alternatives to other gifts that might later end up in landfill.
Set up areas for recycling, food compost and general waste, so that it can be sorted later and put out with for your usual recycling collection. Or, if you are lucky enough to be having a really, really big party, ask for a volunteer to take it to your local household waste recycling centre after the fun is over.
Don’t use plastic decorations – and that includes balloons! Use paper bunting or flags instead.
Support our local, independent shops by buying fresh produce and goods from them. Use seasonal, free-range ingredients and include some vegan and vegetarian dishes too – good for your body as well as the planet.