My list of duties just got longer… drumroll, please… I am now the Head Room Mom (read: “Lead Party Queen”!) for our daughter’s 2nd grade class! She is absolutely thrilled and while I’m excited too, I’m also simultaneously worried.
I know what parties essentially “mean”…. things like lots of trash, waste and “un-environmental” activities. It’s fairly easy to control what goes on for a party in your own home but this is another situation entirely, yet I believe there are still plenty of things I can keep in check.
- Ask volunteering parents to send in bulk foods instead of individually wrapped items. One big box of Goldfish and a big bowl from home is far better than 25 individual packages!
- Same goes for drinks… large containers and cups over a bunch of individual boxes or bottles, then recycle the container and compost the cups.
- Opt for supplies using materials that are less harmful: Paper over plastic, please! Paper plates, cups and napkins can be composted, but reusable products are even better. I love the Party Pak from Kids Konserve. Invest in this supply of party wares (plates, cups and utensils) and wash and reuse them for every party. (Get 15% off, now through October 31, by entering: momgreen at checkout!)
- Skip plastic tableclothes. Bring a fabric tablecloth from home and opt for laundering over plastic in the trash. And borrow decorations from home and take them back afterward… simple as that!
- Make your arts and activities eco-friendly. Consider decorating little totes or lunch bags so they have some usefulness after the party ends.
- Play games with supplies from home. Or consider supplies that can be recycled, like a game of bingo. You can print cards at dltk-cards and use edible “markers” (like M&Ms!) and recycle the cards afterward.
- Pass out goodies in paper bags instead of cellophane treat bags, and give extra thought to what goes inside. Mounds of plastic will eventually wind up in the trash.
- Recycle and compost everything you can!
Sure, these little ideas won’t change the world but they will certainly help make sure that all of those “little partying feet” create a smaller footprint than would have been created otherwise!