I’ll admit up front that I’m a complete newbie at this. I was made sensitive to the issue of reducing waste when a local citizens group in Chester, Pennsylvania, who has been working for OVER 30 YEARS to stop, Covanta, the largest US incinerator from continuing to spew noxious gasses into the air and lungs of area residents as well as dropping lead and other nasty pollutants on top of the community.
You can read all about that at this site, but with summer being here and, thankfully after a horrible pandemic year, I wanted to take a moment to research ways we can all reduce our waste (so plastics — most of which are NOT recyclable — and other otherwise recyclable/compostable materials can be kept out of the incinerator and out of the lungs of children in Chester.
OK, I will stop beating you up, and simply point you to the ideas from some articles I found on how to reduce waste and plastics use for all those wonderful family and friendly gatherings you and I hope to have this summer. With just a little thought, we can have a great time AND avoid or reduce our impact on the planet.
Make a plan to divert food scraps.
https://www.addisoncountyrecycles.org/recycling/reduce-reuse/zero-waste/how-to-throw-a-waste-free-party
Opt for reusable cups, plates, napkins, and silverware. [Bring Your Own & Take It Home is a common theme.]
Use reusable bags.
Use reusable food storage containers.
Keep decorations [and invitations] simple. [And no helium, please.]
Set recycling and food scrap bins next to trash cans.
Make a quick announcement to guests about recycling and food scraps.
Dispose of waste properly post-party.
Thanks for listening.
Looking for more? Try these:
https://earth911.com/living-well-being/zero-waste-party/
https://mygreencloset.com/zero-waste-party/
Jim McLaughlin's Blog 