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By Morgan Olsen
Summer still reigns as king as the season for parties. Traditional weekend events include graduation parties, barbeques, picnics and lunch soirees. Often times, these events produce excess waste and use far too much energy. Take a look at several ways to keep your party green while still making sure your guests have fun.
- Instead of splurging on fancy invitations, buy recycled paper and make your own. Most paper stores sell an assortment of colored paper that has been safely recycled. Use hole punches and cut outs to make beautiful cards to send out. Of course the best way to go green is to send out invitations online and avoid wasting paper altogether (use www.evite.com). Try www.twistedlimbpaper.com if you want to have beautiful eco-friendly invitations made for you. If you really want to get the most from your invitations try www.botanicalpaperworks.com for invitations that guests can plant and grow wild flowers with (now that’s giving back)!
 Rather than serving food on paper or Styrofoam plates, use your own dishes or reusable plastic plates. Target sells a great line of plastic summer dishware that is appropriate for every occasion. Keep in mind that when you throw away paper plates the get dumped in landfills, where they will be buried under thousands of pounds of other garbage. The chances of decomposition are slim. You can also try Natural Fiberware, dinnerware made from bamboo fiber and starch. The fibers from these dishes are completely biodegradable.
- Always buy party food from local farmers or from the local farmer’s market. This ensures environmentally safe eating as well as delicious food. Summer is a wonderful time to check out what local markets offer. Keep in mind that finger food is easy and doesn’t require extra plates or napkins. Be aware that serving raw fruits and vegetables is the best for the environment and can be an excellent way for guests to try new things. Put fresh fruit or vegetables on skewers for a fun treat. Check out www.epicurious.com for creative eco-friendly recipes.
- Entertain using solar lighting. These Westinghouse lights can be found at Sears and they work well for illuminating a patio or a garden at any event. Solar lighting requires little maintenance on your part and will cut your energy costs. And of course, there is no emission! Decorative candles always work well too; make sure to use natural soy based or beeswax.
 Grill Safe: use an electric grill. Especially if you’re hosting a large party. An electric grill does not have an open flame, unlike the charcoal grill, and therefore has less smoke and lighter fluid fumes. If you can’t avoid using your charcoal grill, purchase a charcoal chimney starter to light the coals and reduce emission. They cost an average of $15.
- Label your garbage cans properly with “recyclables” and “food and waste” to avoid unnecessary waste. You can even list what might fall under each category so guests are not confused. Make them easily accessible by placing them in several locations around the party. At the end of the night, don’t throw away the extra food- send it home with guests.
- Why not reuse decorations or make your own? Chances are you already have just what you need. Spruce up any table with an old table cloth, decorative votive candles and beautiful wild flowers in old jam jars or vases. You can also fill glass bowls with water and floating candles for a beautiful center piece that doubles as a light fixture. Use potted plants for spring or summer parties as center pieces and plant them later. For other party favors that are completely safe for the environment check out www.greenpartygoods.com for a wide range of ideas.
- Serve drinks in large glass pitchers to avoid wasting bottles and cans. You can make your own lemonade or iced tea.
- Purchase green drinks too! For beer, try Peak Organic Beer, made with barley and hops grown without pesticides or chemical fertilizers. Local markets also sell organic wines and liquors. Just make sure everyone recycles their bottles!
- Last, but certainly not least, clean up green! Use cleaning products that are marked as “green” or “natural”. These products are usually biodegradable and are never tested on animals. Most stores like Wal-Mart and Target now sell these products.
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