We went to a toddler's birthday party over the weekend. When you spend a chunk of your time thinking about how to reduce your plastic footprint in various facets of life, it's hard not to see plastic everywhere—the gifts, the packaged hors d'oeuvres, the confetti, the balloons, the party favors. By the time the party is underway, it's too late to point that out to the hosts. You won't win any points or make any new friends. You might not get invited to the next birthday.
No one wants to be a buzzkill.
So, then, take this blog as a reminder for the next birthday you throw for the little one, or as an opportunity to help a friend plan theirs, or as a guide for how you can play a small part in reducing plastic waste even if you're only a guest.
First, three rules:
No. 1: Avoidance beats replacement
Rather than looking for 1-to-1 swaps for all the classics, it's worth going through the exercise first to consider which elements could simply be forgone completely.
Do you need disposable utensils? Why not pizza and cupcakes that kids can eat with their hands? Do you need balloons... at all? Paper streamers (if you can avoid plastic packaging) or a paper-based crafts table for the kids offers festive decoration without a plastic component.
No. 2: Control what you can control
You can throw an entirely plastic-free event only to be trumped by that guest that brings a plastic present wrapped in plastic packaging tied up with a plastic bow. And that sucks. But you still did a good job. And now is not the time to be militant. Perfect is not the enemy of good.
Instead, celebrate your nonplastic event in the invitations—let guests know you're trying something fun and different, and ask them to participate. Don't call them out if they miss the memo.
No. 3: Make it memorable (in a good way)
This is not just a piece of feel-good advice. A plastic-free party cannot suck. If it sucks, no one else will want to do it, and you will fail to be a change agent. If it's fun and memorable, some of those guests might take up the challenge themselves. Now you've started a movement.
That also means: Don't accept half-measures. Need to supply a special food item to accommodate an allergy, and plastic is necessary? Obviously don't skip it.
Easy nonplastic party wins
With that out of the way, let's look at a few items that will make it easier to give Junior the nonplastic birthday party of his (your) dreams.
Beeswax wrap party favors: Skip the plastic goody bags entirely and send kids home with a reusable beeswax wrap—functional, colorful, and something parents will actually appreciate finding in the bottom of a backpack.
Seed paper confetti: Made from recycled paper embedded with wildflower seeds, this confetti can be scattered at the party and then planted in the garden — mess and all — so the fun keeps growing long after the candles are blown out.
Bamboo plates: Lightweight, compostable, and sturdy enough to handle a pile of pizza, snacks and cupcakes, bamboo is a perfect alternative to pastic plates or even many paper plates that come in plastic packaging or have a plastic film to seal out moisture.
Conscientious snack choices: You don't need to skip popcorn and trail mix to avoid plastic—just take a more thoughtful approach. Both can be made at home and doled out in paper napkins. Paper-packaged snack foods are great, but beware of misleading claims. There are exceedingly few single-use packaged snack foods that don't contain any plastic.
Paper party favors: Growing up, we always used paper lunch bags to hand out party favors. At the time it was less an eco-conscious choice, more a practical one. Now there are all sorts of store-bought, pre-packaged party gifts for kids; all of them are full of plastic. Save your money! Paper bags or even canvas totes (parents will thank you) are easy to customize and better in the waste stream.