Co-op News | Spring Quarterly 2018

Sustainable Celebrations

Jolie Harvey, Outreach Coordinator

Tips for hosting earth-friendly events

The Co-op strives to achieve zero waste at our annual events and in-store demonstrations by providing non-bottled beverages, reusable serving ware, minimal packaging and reduced-resource-use from decorations to food choices. To continue giving back to the earth, we’ve put together some guidelines to help you have an earth-friendly event in your own home! 

1. Send e-vites. Save energy and paper by sending invitations via email or text. If you do send cards, look for 100% post-consumer recycled paper at the Co-op.

2. Choose nature. Use plants or seasonal produce for table décor. You can give them away as gifts to guests, too.

3. Utilize utensils. Choose non-disposable plates and utensils or ask guests to bring their own. If you don’t have enough, see if you can borrow from a friend! Mix-and-match cloth napkins and tablecloths are inexpensive at thrift stores. 

4. Make a menu. Highlight fresh, in-season and local foods on the menu. Local and in-season means great taste, less travel time and carbon footprint to the store, and brings awareness to the bounty of our local fare. 

5. Label bins. Parties are a great time to start a compost pile—just set aside a separate bin for everyone’s food scraps. If you already have one, make sure guests know which waste goes where with clear labels including recycling and trash. 

6. Create a leftover station. Invite your guests to bring their own containers to take home remaining eats. 

7. Clean up. Use natural, eco-friendly cleaning products – a simple solution of vinegar, baking soda, and water can make clean up easy. 

Join us at our next sustainable event!