One of my favorite mantras includes a slightly different take on the three Rs “reuse, reduce, recycle.” I like to reuse, recycle, and repurpose. It’s important to be environmentally friendly all year round, but in honor of Earth Day, here are 3 ways you can “eco-tain” or in other words, be eco-friendly while entertaining!
1. Be a local-vore.
Buying food that is grown and produced locally supports your local farmers and community. Being a local-vore means that you are promoting energy conservation because less resources are expended during packaging and transporting goods. A good rule of thumb is to purchase foods that are grown within a 100 mile radius and anything further requires more transportation expense in the form of a larger carbon footprint.
2. Use earth-friendly products.
Nowadays, you can find products that are made from 100% recycled materials and are BPA free. Some products are even dishwasher safe and reusable. Other products are biodegradable or compostable, making them great for outdoor parties and picnics if accidentally left behind. Two of our favorite eco-flatware are recycled knives, forks and spoons and all purpose iHeart multipurpose utensil.
3. Clean with green.
When the party’s over, remember to always recycle or repurpose instead of throwing them in the trash. If you have to “trash,” use trash bags made from repurposed plastic for those items that just can’t be recycled and clean with green products! There are so many household cleaning products that have biodegradable formulas, so keep those in mind when you’re washing dishes and cleaning off table surfaces.
Resources for eco-taining:
Susty Party
iHeart
Seventh Generation
