Green Holiday Gatherings

Mom Goes Green recently did a post on “It’s my party and ‘I’ll go green’ if I want to!”  As the Holiday Season and Holiday Parties are upon us she shares some great ideas to reduce Holiday related waste. 

Recently we had our Annual Cookie/ Beer Exchange using the following ideas:
  • Invitations thru Evite
  • Used cloth tablecloths on the tables
  • Decorated with Cookies on the tables
  • Used real tableware, silverware
  • For cookie take home containers I recycled large coffee containers, washed them, wrapped them with paper to make them more festive.
  • Showed "Polar Express" for the kids with a movie we checked out from the library
  • Recycled all bottles after the party
Our Menu utilizing as many Natural/ Organic food as the budget would allow:

Baby Greens with Avocados & Pears
Roasted Red & Green Pepper Quesadillas
Texas Style Chili

Originally posted April 2008:

When we think of large gatherings we think of paper plates, plastic cups, plastic silverware and disposable tablecloths! If it's a birthday party add to that greeting cards, wrapping paper, gift bags and bows! When it's time to party we often don't think about composting, recycling and being earth-friendly!


For our most recent gathering we used EarthShell products purchased at The Anderson's General Store in Columbus. For 25 plates or 25 bowls, the cost was around $3.50 per pack. Once I opened the packages there was a $2.00 rebate inside. If you purchase two packages you get a $2.00 rebate. Very reasonable for earth-friendly products! (Obviously the most earth-friendly would be to use real dishes, etc.) These plates quickly biodegraded in our compost bin outside. The plastic tablecloths, while not "earth-friendly" per say, will be reused as a drop cloth for planting and painting in the future.

In addition to our efforts to purchase products that could be composted, recycled or reused we made an effort to make as much of the food served Green! I purchased items like cheese and fruits on sale and organic for as much as the budget would allow.

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