So much has been written about making your event "green" or "eco-chic" that we'd like to offer 8 ideas that will help you make any event, whether a dinner or even a wedding, more eco-friendly AND beautiful (more on elegant eco-conscious weddings in a future post).
First things first: there is a lot of advice on greening an event out there that plainly is focused on hippie or Mother Nature/Mother Earth types, young or old, such as reusing mason jars to serve beverages at an indoor event or using an overabundance of raffia to decorate. The truth is that these types of tips are for a minority. Not many people who want to host a beautiful and/or important event are going to go for this.
The good news is that making an event more eco-friendly can be done while still using a beautiful event design. And rather than thinking, "Oh, if I do just one thing it's not enough, so I won't do anything," be convinced that even doing ONE thing to make your event eco-friendly will have an effect...Did you know that recycling just one phone book saves over 20 trees? We advise clients to do at least one thing to make their events greener and we advise them on how to maintain the elegant and beautiful look our clients expect. Below, 8 ideas.
*Use candlesticks, candelabras, ormulu, jade, or another elegant decorative piece as a centerpiece or accent piece for a buffet or beverage table instead of flowers that will be thrown away (and as an alternative to flowering plants). Some people LOVE fresh flowers, so, if you do buy flowers, take them the next day to a nursing home, hospital, or shelter or give them to a friend or neighbor who will enjoy them rather than either throwing them in the trash or letting them wilt while you get back to your busy life.
*Remember that non-soy candles have carcinogens and are not eco-friendly. If you have a day event you will use less light but if your event will definitely be in the evening, some dazzling galas and weddings and other evening events use many votives to illuminate and use less (or even no) light.
*Serve local and seasonal food and even local wines and beers and cut down on trucking emissions. Local and seasonal food is typically LESS expensive and because the produce is bigger you can buy less. Around Houston check out the many wonderful farmer's markets (a new one opened at City Hall), the Airline markets, Rawfully Organic, food co-ops, and so much more.
*Set out a nice container for used wine bottles at your event, such as a wood wine box (many wine stores give them away) or a vintage tub.
*Use real plates, cutlery, and glasses. I recently read someone who said that disposables will never make an elegant party. So true. If you hesitate to use real dishes because of the need to load the dishwasher afterwards, opt for real glasses and cutlery with paper plates and napkins.
*Any food, disposables, or anything else you would throw away can be taken to a shelter the next day.
*Seeds in packets as party favors can be made elegant by making the packets part of the many beautiful napkin settings on plates, as part of a centerpiece on individual tables or a serving table, or, at a large event, in a decorative favor box. And any unused decorative elements can also be donated.
*If you're cleaning up afterward, use a green cleaner (one not made from petrochemicals), e.g., Mrs. Meyers, Biokleen, Seventh Generation. And remember that antibacterial cleaners contain triclosan, a cancer-causing agent banned by the European Union.
As you see, it's easy to make an event eco-friendly, delicious, AND beautiful!
Warmly,
Kristina
Kristina Ríos de Lumbreras, Ph.D.
Director of Sales and Operations
Fandango Catering and Events
(713) 522-0077
(281) 796-9841
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