Five eco-friendly tips to host a sustainable dinner party
Everybody loves a good dinner party. What’s not to love when you’re celebrating with loved ones and hanging out with friends? But how do we make such a special event like a dinner party sustainable, while still keeping all the magic?
Sustainable dinner parties: our five top tips
1. What to eat… and drink?
When preparing for any dinner party, eating and drinking are the absolute top considerations. So, what sort of recipes do you need to have a sustainable dinner party? Veggie, seasonal, and local, of course! And we have an ever-growing recipe list which we’d recommend for any sustainable dinner party inspiration!
If you want serve alcoholic drinks, there are numerous sustainability-produced options, from wine and beer to spirits. Perfect for whipping up some eco-friendly cocktails.
2. Reduce waste from the get-go
Our number one sustainability tip to reducing any dinner party waste would be to make sure you plan your menu before. That way, you can buy exactly what you need, and remove the need for food waste.
It is so important that we all only take what we will use, even at special occasions, and a little bit of forward-planning will help make sure this happens at your sustainable dinner party.
3. Eco-friendly Kitchenware
If you’re hosting at home, we always recommend using what you already have in your cupboards… That goes for food, as well as your kitchenware.
Still, if you want to shake things up a little, a trip to your local charity shop is always a fantastic way to find new pieces to add you your table.
Don’t worry if things don’t match up; different styles, colours and shapes create an amazing boho feel when added together.
And if you are hosting a picnic or large barbecue, for example, and need to use disposable plates, cups, and cutlery, try to use eco-friendly, compostable items made from plants to keep the party as sustainable as possible.
4. The sustainable centrepiece
The centrepiece is where it’s at! It helps add that ‘wow’ factor every dinner party needs. And you can impress your dinner party guests while still keeping everything sustainable. Here are a few very simple ideas to help you dress the table:
- Grab a few fallen branches from outside, and arrange them in the centre of the table. If you have any, add some LED lights or eco-friendly candles, too.
- Depending on the theme, you can add a few Christmas baubles, paper-cutouts, or shells to create just the right atmosphere
- If you have some small potted plants around your home, try adding them to the table, for a nature inspired centre-piece which avoids unnecessary flower waste.
- Do you have a range of glasses, and tea cups in your kitchen cupboards? If you do, you can them as a centrepiece by adding eco-friendly tea lights, for a cute tea-party feel.
5. Tidying-up
You’ve thrown an amazing and sustainable dinner party, go you! Yet after any big dinner party comes the big clean up. And you can still keep your sustainable party going even longer…
Gather up any left-overs, and make sure you store them correctly in the fridge or freezer for an easy next-day treat. Or send your guests homes with small, reusable food boxes!
Make sure to recycle any packaging correctly. This includes putting items in your recycling bin, as well as keeping any perfectly reusable packaging for use at a later date — perhaps at your next sustainable dinner party?!
For anything that can’t be recycled, be sure to use environmentally-friendly cleaning products, including eco-friendly bin bags, to clean up any spills and other mess left behind.
And, that’s it! With only some minor changes and keeping aware of the environment, you’re now ready to throw a sustainable dinner party for any occasion.
Bonus points if you inspire any of your guests to follow in your footsteps, too.
Originally published at thefloopapp.com
