Top Green Dinner Party Tips

1. Plan and Invite Wisely
   Before you head out to shop for your locally sourced menu, first sit down and make a guest list. Whether you're inviting a big family over for Thanksgiving or a few friends, knowing the number of people coming to your party is the first big step in cutting back on waste. When you have your list set, send on an Evite, or other electronic invitation, online to save the waste paper invitations create. For those of your guests who aren't into email, give them a call.


2. Encourage Your Guests to Travel Green
   In the Evite you send out, be sure to indicate clearly how to get to the dinner party via public transportation. Is there a bus nearby? A light rail? If you don't live near extensive transportation, why not encourage guests to carpool to reduce their footprints. For those who do travel green, you can offer fun little rewards or green favors. These may include local honey, seed packets, a bar of fair trade chocolate or even a gift certificate for a cup of sustainable coffee at your favorite local cafe.


3. Decorate With an Eco-Conscious
   Instead of buying one time use decorations think about going green. Party store decorations are often paper and plastic and usually only last the night of your party. Look outside in your yard for nature inspired decorations. Why not gather branches, flowers foliage and rocks? You can also head on over to your farmer's market for local flowers. Filling vases with hints of the season like pinecones, lemons or leaves is a great way to add a bit of green to the dinner table. Petroleum free soy candles can help you create a mellow mood.


4. Buy Seasonal and Local Produce
   If the farmers' market season is still on when your party shopping happens, this is the ideal spot to buy local food. Local produce is not only good for your health, its good for the Earth too: the shorter distance it travels to get your plate keeps carbon out of the air. To find out what's in season for your party you can check out a seasonal produce calendar. This will help you plan a green menu that celebrates the seasons. When you head out shopping, don't forget your reusable bags and if at all possible, stick to a 100 mile diet.


5. Sip Green Drinks
   When you're planning what drinks to serve at your dinner party, try avoid buying those that come in cans and bottles. If you do get drinks in these, be sure to clearly mark a place where guests can recycle. When possible complement your fresh menu with green drinks. Whatever your party mood, green drink options abound. You can make your own sangria and avoid drink packaging altogether. There's also the option of picking up beer from a local brewery, or buying it organic. If wine's your thing, green wines abound, and if when dessert rolls around you want to serve a little pick me up, why not brew some shade-grown coffee?


6. Think About Reducing the Amount of Meat on Your Menu or Go Veg Altogether
   Meat production contributes significantly to climate change. One pound of beef alone requires 1860 gallons of water. Cattle and other livestock also produce serious amounts of methane, a gas 20 times more harmful to the Earth than carbon dioxide. Note that you can serve less meat at your party and still do a good green deed. If you decide to serve some meat, check out the Eat Well Guide for information on sustainable meat in your area. If you are inspired to take your party a step further, why not make your menu entirely vegetarian.


7. If You Want Seafood on the Plate, Choose Sustainable
   If you're dreaming of serving seafood at your dinner party, go the sustainable route. In buying sustainable seafood, you will avoid contributing to the overfishing devastating global seafood populations. You can check out our basic steps for how to pick out more eco-friendly seafood or visit the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch to navigate your choices.


8. Use the Right Tableware
   If you can, avoid the usual paper cups, plates, napkins and plastic utensils. If you are stuck on these for your party, look for unbleached or biodegradable products. If you can forgo these you will save a nice pile of trash from making its way into the landfill. Instead, use dishwasher safe china and glasses you already have around the house. If they don't all match, add more green candles and native plants to match the eclectic sets.


9. Send Your Guests Home With Leftovers
   Even if you are a star party planner you are likely to have leftovers. Instead of letting them sit in your fridge, potentially serving them up for the next few meals, why not send some home with your friends. You can lend your friends some of your green tupperware or encourage them to bring their own to fill up after the party.


10. Clean Up Green
    Set up bins at your party that clearly mark where guests can recycle, compost and send trash to the landfill. Composting your scraps is great for your garden and easy to do. Next, be sure your dishes are finding their way into an efficient dishwasher; we have a great guide on how to green yours. The basics? Skip the pre-rinse, fill it on up, and lower the heat. If you don't have a dishwasher, be sure to do some eco-friendly hand washing. When it comes to scrubbing your countertops post-party, opt to do it with green cleaning products. They're good for the Earth and your health, too.

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