GOING GREENER

Ten easy eco switches for more planet-friendly parties this summer

Ten easy eco-switches for a planet-friendly party

Swap plastic balloons for paper

BALLOONS MIGHT SEEM ESSENTIAL FOR A PARTY, BUT THE ONES WE ALL KNOW AND LOVE TEND

TO BE MADE FROM PLASTIC, WHICH IS HARMFUL IF SWALLOWED BY SEABIRDS. BUY KAMIFUSEN – JAPANESE PAPER BALLOONS – INSTEAD. PETRA BOASE, BASED IN NORFOLK, HAS A DELIGHTFUL RANGE OF SHAPES INCLUDING PENGUINS AND FISH (PETRABOASE.COM). OR GO FOR PERSONALISED FELT-BUNTING FROM YORKSHIRE-BASED HOUSE OF HOORAY (HOUSEOFHOORAY.COM). BOTH CAN BE USED AGAIN AND AGAIN.

Swap tealights for beeswax tapers

CANDLES CAN ADD TWINKLE TO CELEBRATIONS – JUST MAKE SURE YOURS ARE 100 PER CENT BEESWAX INSTEAD OF PARAFFIN, WHICH CAN CONTRIBUTE TO AIR POLLUTION WHEN BURNED. PACKAGING IS ALSO IMPORTANT – TEALIGHTS COME IN ALUMINIUM CUPS, WHICH, WHILE RECYCLABLE, ARE LESS ECO-FRIENDLY THAN CASING-FREE TAPERS. GET YOURS FROM FIVE BEES YARD (FIVEBEESYARD.COM).

Swap disposable plates for bamboo

PAPER PLATES MIGHT BE COMPOSTABLE (CHECK THE LABEL), BUT BAMBOO TABLEWARE IS REUSABLE. EMILIE O’CONNOR (EMILIEOCONNORHOMESTORE.COM) AND REX LONDON (REXLONDON.COM) BOTH OFFER BRIGHT AND BEAUTIFUL OPTIONS.

Swap single-use tableware for rentable

FOR COLOURFUL CHILDREN’S PARTIES THIS SUMMER, HIRE REUSABLE TABLEWARE FROM THE PARTY KIT NETWORK (PARTYKITNETWORK.UK). FOR MORE GROWN-UP SOIRÉES, MAJESTIC WINES OFFERS FREE GLASS HIRE FOR CUSTOMERS. THEY ALSO ALLOW YOU TO RETURN UNOPENED BOTTLES OF WINE AND CASES OF BEER (MAJESTIC.CO.UK).

Swap plastic straws for plant stems

PLASTIC STRAWS ARE NOW BANNED BUT THERE ARE PLENTY OF ECO-FRIENDLY ALTERNATIVES. NATURAL WHEAT VERSIONS FROM JUST STRAW (JUSTSTRAW.CO.UK) ARE MADE FROM AN AGRICULTURAL BY-PRODUCT AND ARE ENTIRELY COMPOSTABLE, SO YOU CAN SIP WITHOUT SIN.

Swap fizzy drinks for elderflower cordial

REPLACE SUGARY DRINKS IN PLASTIC BOTTLES WITH HOMEMADE ELDERFLOWER CORDIAL (TURN TO PAGE 28 FOR SARA’ WARD’S CORDIAL RECIPE). FILL UP A GLASS DISPENSER AND ALLOW GUESTS TO HELP THEMSELVES. IF YOU OR YOUR FAMILY ARE BIG FIZZY-DRINK FANS, INVEST IN A SODA MAKER AND YOU’LL NEVER NEED TO BUY PLASTIC BOTTLES OF SPARKLING WATER OR FLAVOURED CARBONATED DRINKS AGAIN (SODASTREAM.CO.UK).

Little extras Swap conventional cards for compostable

FROM INVITATIONS TO PLACEHOLDERS, CARDS PRESENT A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE YOUR PARTY EVEN MORE ECO-FRIENDLY. LOOK FOR COMPOSTABLE VERSIONS EMBEDDED WITH WILD-FLOWER SEEDS, WHICH CAN BE PLANTED AFTER USE. DESIGNER AND ZOOLOGIST JENNIFER COMBES MAKES PRETTY ONES INSPIRED BY NATURE AT SUMMER LANE STUDIO NEAR EDINBURGH (SUMMERLANESTUDIO.COM).

ALL THE PACKAGING IN RUBY + BO’S RANGE IS BIODEGRADABLE; MOST OF IT IS HOMECOMPOSTABLE, TOO (RUBYANDBO.COM).

Swap imported charcoal for FSC certified

WE ARE A NATION OF BBQ LOVERS, SO NO SURPRISE WE USE MORE THAN 60,000 TONNES OF CHARCOAL EVERY YEAR, OF WHICH OVER 80 PER CENT IS IMPORTED. LOOK FOR THE FOREST STEWARDSHIP COUNCIL (FSC) LOGO, WHICH ENSURES CHARCOAL HAS BEEN SOURCED RESPONSIBLY FROM WITHIN THE UK.

Swap supermarket burgers for farm-fresh

NOW YOU’VE SORTED OUT THE BARBECUE, CONSIDER WHAT YOU’LL BE COOKING ON IT. INSTEAD OF MEAT PACKAGED IN PLASTIC, HEAD TO A FARMERS’ MARKET (DON’T FORGET YOUR TUPPERWARE). ALTERNATIVELY, ORDER A SEASONAL MEAT BOX FROM PIPERS FARM (PIPERSFARM.COM) OR FIELD&FLOWER (FIELDANDFLOWER.CO.UK).

Swap party bags for seed bombs

NO NEED TO HAND OUT ACTIVISM LEAFLETS AS GUESTS LEAVE, BUT YOU MIGHT CONSIDER ANOTHER GIFT. DEVON-BASED LITTLE OTTER PARTY SUPPLIES (LITTLEOTTERPARTYSUPPLIES.CO.UK) SPECIALISES IN GOING-HOME PRESENTS SUCH AS SEED BOMBS AND WOODEN BRACELETS, WHILE COTTON TWIST (COTTONTWIST.CO.UK) SELLS JOLLY PAPER CRAFT KITS FOR CHILDREN. BUY RECYCLABLE BAGS FROM THE PAPER PARTY BAG SHOP (THEPAPERPARTY BAGSHOP.COM).