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Party ‘Til the Earth is Saved: How to Accomplish an Eco-Friendly Birthday Party

The Quick Facts: Do you want to provide your child with a truly memorable birthday party while maintaining ecologically sound practices, grounding consumption expectations and keeping to a reasonable budget? Make invitations on the computer and email them or print them on recycled paper; avoid balloons and reuse decorations and whimsy household items; serve healthy food (preferably organic); if you use plastic ware ensure it’s saved for reuse; provide environmental-minded activities such as plantings; and let guests choose a goodie from one large cloth bag rather than give out lots of little goodie bags.

I remember when I was pregnant I told my husband how we were going to break the consumption habit with our children. We would not raise our children to want every new toy on the market or to think they were entitled to them. And, I added, we were starting with birthday parties. In my mind, birthdays are truly a celebratory time—not because of all the presents received, but rather a rejoicing of making it through another year of life. I also waxed on about how much waste (paper, food, plastic, etc.) I witnessed at children’s parties and how we should go on a really great birthday hike instead. I promised that this birthday party madness would not happen to our family.

As my children grew older and began making friends and attending birthday parties, the jig was up. It wasn’t too long before I knew I would have to climb down from my high horse. While my mind had not changed in the way I hoped to bring up my children—appreciative for what they have and considerate of environmental conservation—I just didn’t have it within me to actually deprive them of some basic childhood rites of passage, namely, a really great birthday party. I was, however, up for the challenge (and probably a few eye rolls) of incorporating these values into my new design: an Eco-friendly Birthday Party. I would provide my daughter with a truly memorable party while maintaining ecologically sound practices, grounding consumption expectations and keeping to a reasonable budget. And, here’s how we actually did it …!

Invites
Easy. Instead of buying invitations, we made them on the computer. My children helped pick out clip art or photos and we either e-mailed them or printed them on recycled paper. Of course, an online search for “eco-friendly invitations” will present you with many options from companies that manufacture recycled and tree-friendly products written with soy ink and other environmentally-friendly frills. (See the resource guide at end of the article.)

Decorations
Since balloons can create a potential hazard to birds and marine life (for more information on the hazards see Real Mama’s Spring 2007 Issue article, Every Party Needs a Pooper: Balloons and the Environment), they were not welcome at our party. Alternatively, nothing says good times like hanging paper lanterns. They come in a variety of shapes, colors and themes and can be reused party after party after party. When it’s party time in our house, we break out the multitude of lanterns that we have collected over the years (we add to the bunch each year) and hang them everywhere. Since I am a big fan of making use of what you have, I also scour my house for items that fit in with the theme of the party. Sophia’s party was on Earth Day and we tried to incorporate anything having to do with the planet or outdoors. Many of my daughter’s toys fit into this theme perfectly. We strategically placed her toys so that they looked like quirky decorations instead of an out-of-control play room (Sophia has several globes and many rainforest/endangered species stuffed animals). My water cans from the garden also took center stage as art supply containers and make-shift vases and fit well into our theme. Not only did I save money on decorations, but I taught my daughter about the often forgotten “R” in the responsible stewardship world: Reuse.

Menu
Here is one area where one could say I actually had a “hybrid” party. I ordered pizza. I felt like I had to in order to please the party masses. I did also make a point to offer my guests (kids and adults and lots of them) many other healthy choices, including just about every type of fruit, a great selection of vegetables with interesting dipping options, a variety of healthy salads, lettuce wraps, low-fat cheese sticks and wheat crackers, homemade oatmeal cookies and homemade banana muffins.

Plates/ Utensils
I suspected that this area would present the biggest challenge. I was right. Since I did not have enough of my own tableware for this large of a group (nor did I think ceramic plates would go over well with the 5 and under crowd) I had to purchase additional party ware. I bought bamboo plates, which are made from bamboo grass. Bamboo is a highly sustainable resource and usually grown without pesticides. They looked great but were expensive for a party of over 50 people and, unfortunately, could not be used again. I also tried compostable utensils made from corn. They were slightly more expensive than plastic and are not meant for reuse or hot food. I have learned that it probably is better all around to invest in lots of sturdy recycled plastic ware (which holds up well in the dishwasher) and plan to reuse it. Note that you’ll need to place designated used plastic ware receptacles around at the party to avoid their disposal.

Activities
There are virtually endless ideas and variations on activities that go well with an “Earth Day” party theme. At our party, we had an art station where I hung a huge piece of recycled butcher paper on our fence and let kids finger paint all over it. Since we had the paints we were not purchasing extra items. We also had a planting station where the children planted marigolds in mini clay pots after listening to a brief tutorial on how marigolds are natural deterrents for some insects and planting them may eliminate the need for pesticide use. We filled our plastic water table with non-toxic bubbles to create a bubble station and let the kids have fun with all of the bubble paraphernalia collected through the years. We also had a ring toss, created by using common household items: two garden stakes some thick rope and colorful duct tape (make small circles with the rope and tape firmly together). We even had a “traditional” egg race, using recycled plastic Easter eggs (I knew they would come in handy again one day!). We filled them with pebbles to make them pop open on impact when they were dropped. The added benefits were that we did not waste real eggs for this game and avoided a serious mess.

Goodie bags
Finally, it seems everyone does the “goodie bag” to thank guests. I have in the past used cloth bags purchased at a craft store and filled them with healthy treats and small toys. As a parent of children on the receiving end of these bags, I know those small toys just create more waste. This time, for our parting gifts, I invested in enough decent prizes for everyone at the party and let each guest choose one from a large sack as they left.

For more information, below is a list of resources where you can find eco-friendly products that you might incorporate into your next celebration:

http://www.twistedlimbpaper.com (One of many websites that offer recycled paper products.)

www.kidbean.com (A comprehensive website that re-sales labor-friendly and earth-friendly products. Among other items, non-toxic finger paints can be purchased through this website.)

www.recycline.com (Recycline’s Preserve brand includes durable plastic plates, cups and utensils. All of Recycline’s plastic products and packaging are made with recycled materials and are designed to be completely recyclable after use. Recycline makes its products mostly from recycled Stonyfield Farm yogurt cups.)

http://www.bambuhome.com (Offers a wide variety of bamboo house wares that are durable and disposable. The company donates 1% of its company sales to environmental causes and is noted for its fair working conditions and environmentally friendly practices.)

http://www.Nat-urstore.com (Offers biodegradable/compostable plastic utensils, dishware, cups, bowls and storage bags made from corn.)

The following websites are on-line, eco-friendly superstores where party supplies can be purchased along with other necessary household items.

http://www.biodegradablestore.com
http://www.greenfeet.com
http://www.worldcentric.org
http://www.ecoproducts.com


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