Entertaining Tips - Eco Friendly & Sustainable
Our family loves to entertain during Summer - BBQs and warm Summer nights just go together!
To make sure we are being as eco-friendly and sustainable as possible we follow these 5 easy tips (or rules in our house!)
1. Ditch the plastic.
Grazing boards are the easiest way to get great food on the table without cutlery and crockery.
If you do need plates and cutlery then use what you already have, just wash up at the end of the night (or put straight into the dishwasher!).
If you really can’t forgo the disposable type of plates and cutlery then choose compostable. These can then go straight into your compost or green waste bin.
2. Food and Drink.
We always ask our friends to bring a plate along when we entertain. This helps us reduce food waste in a few ways:
There will definitely be something that they like to eat
We don’t need to over cater, hoping to serve something they’ll like.
They can take their bowl/plate home at the end of the night with their leftovers
Our chickens are also a fun way to reduce any leftover food waste. If you don’t have chooks or a worm farm then check out SHARE WASTE. You can get in contact with others around you that do have chickens or compost and would like your scraps. It’s a free initiative that helps you find someone in your neighbourhood who's willing to accept extra scraps and compost it or feed it to their worms or animals.
Grazing boards are also a great idea. Stock them with cheeses, nuts, lollies, dried fruits and crackers.
Make your own Sourdough Starter Crackers recipe here
3. Decorations.
Don’t take down the Christmas lights!
Use your Christmas lights for decoration in your garden and home. Weave them through your trees, around the kids’ cubby house, and over the clothesline.
Bunting or fabric flags are also brilliant re-usable and eco-friendly decorations that can be used for all your parties and events.
If you’re attending (or holding) a New Year’s Eve party then get the kids punching out confetti from old newspapers and leaves. No need to clean up confetti from the back yard! Bubbles are also another great alternative.
We usually don't decorate when having friends over - unless it’s a birthday or other special occasion. This year we want to kick 2020 out with a bit more “oompf” so we have our Christmas lights, birthday party decorations and reusable bunting to dress up our garden.
4. Recycle everything.
Literally, grab everything that can be recycled.
We have a plastic bucket that gets used for empty cans and bottles. This stays near the eskies so everyone can easily put their empty drinks away - and safe from small fingers!
Sometimes it’s hard to avoid plastic wrap, especially when friends bring food over, but we try our best and make sure we RedCycle everything possible. You can put all of your plastic packets, chip packets and lolly wrappers in the RedCycle bin at your local Coles or Woolies.
A recycling bin or bucket is handy to have access to, so your guests can easily - this is actually also a great way to subtly teach your guests about recycling!
In all honesty, I get asked at least one recycling question everyone time we have a bin out for use. Many people don’t know what can be recycled - and it’s also a good way to learn more yourself.
5. No paper invites.
Face to face, SMS, email or pick up the phone and let everyone know about your party, lunch or dinner.
If you want to design a party invite try Canva for free invite templates that can be sent via message, email or SMS.
Enjoy your Summer nights and eco-friendly entertaining!
Tammy
Owner - Unpackaged
Join an Unpackaged DIY workshop to learn even more ways to help reduce plastic and single-use items, whilst also saving yourself time and money.
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