Easy Eco Swaps By Eleanor King
How to Throw a
Green Birthday Celebration Celebrate your little one’s birthday in sustainable style with easy eco-swaps and earth-friendly decor. By using products that are naturally grown and created or easily biodegradable and compostable, you can be kind to the planet while still throwing an epic birthday bash.
Swap out a few party staples to reduce waste and save some trees. Instead of going with traditional paper invitations, set up an e-invite or online event where parents and guests can easily RSVP. E-invites not only save paper, but are great ways to set up reminders, share photos from the event, and more. Bake your cake and eat it, too! Opt for a homemade cake made with local organic ingredients rather than a storebought cake in a plastic container. Home baking can cater to allergy needs, reduce sugar and fat, and allow you to create a completely customizable cake. Encourage guests and family members to wrap any gifts in leftover newspapers, magazines, or reusable bags. This not only saves them money, but makes it easy for them to recycle and reuse any wrapping left over. OUR PICK
Get creative with gift giving and create your own DIY Eco-Friendly Printed Gift Wrap. Add a splash of personal and whimsical fun to any present with bright prints and patterns.
dECOrations When it comes to decorating, skip the balloons and plastic and opt for natural or recyclable accessories. To create a beautiful green space instead of decorating with plastic, use colorful and fun indoor plants to dress up any party space while also improving indoor air quality. For extra pops of color, gather seasonal and locally-grown cut flowers to brighten up any room. Skip the tissue paper poms and tassels and instead opt for sturdy paper fans and lanterns or fabric tassels that can be used over and over again. Tissue paper decorations are often only used once, and while they are more easily biodegradable than plastic, they still clog up landfills. Try to find decorations that can be reused for more than one celebration. Order a customizable plantable seed paper banner to say “happy birthday” in a sustainable way. Once the celebration has ended, plant each banner piece in the yard or garden to grow a variety of beautiful plants and flowers.
Botanical Paperworks Custom Plantable & Eco-friendly Party Banner (Starting at 33.95, botanicalpaperworks.com)
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