You can still have a good party without plastic forks
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Now that we've covered green grilling and green food tips for your barbeque, let's take a look at the part of the party that happens after you grill the food: serving it up.
This portion of your party can have a bigger impact than you might think; depending on what you're serving, each guest will need at least one plate, cup, and set of flatware, and all that can add up to lots and lots of waste, especially when Uncle Larry forgets which cup was his, and little cousin Susie dumps her plate of onion rings off the deck. Stem the tide of trash by following these tips.
Choose reusable dishes and utensils
The best way to avoid tons of waste during your party is to choose reusable options over disposable ones. For small to medium-sized parties, your everyday dishware will often do the job; you don't have to break out the fine china, but your plates, bowls, flatware, glasses, and cloth napkins will zero out most of the waste that would otherwise go to the landfill. For larger parties, consider renting the dishware you'll need -- you can find services near you with a quick Google search -- and if your barbeque falls somewhere in between in size, borrow what you need from a neighbor or a friend.
Pick dishware and flatware with recycled content that can be recycled again
If circumstances dictate that you absolutely have to use disposable, choose items that have been made from recycled materials, and that can be recycled again. This can be easier with paper products than with plastic, especially if you buy unbleached white napkins and compostable plates -- too many colors means dyes that aren't compost friendly -- which can go in the compost pile when you're through. Remember, tossing compostable items in the trash is nearly as bad as chucking non-compostable items -- they need the aerobic activity found in compost piles to break down, and landfills won't get the job done.
Plastics, like plates, cups, and flatware create a stickier situation. Most are #5 plastic -- yep, that's PP, or polypropelyne; see Get to Know Your Recyclable Plastics by Number for more -- which is often not taken in curbside recycling programs (check with your municipal program to check for sure) and therefore tough to recycle, so it often gets pitched. Recycline makes a handful of party-friendly products that are made from 100 percent recycled plastic, but they're often #5 plastic by the time they get to you. That means that while they're better than products that use virgin plastics, the recycling difficulties they cause point to reusable products as the superior green choice. Plus, have you ever tried to get your guests to separate their own recycling on the way to the trash can? It's tough!
So, in review, there are a few rules of thumb to follow: ditch the disposables in favor of reusable plates, bowls, cups, and flatware; if you have to go with disposables, and choose based on recycled content, recyclability, and compostability (but only if you're actually going to compost them!). Happy partying!
Difficulty level: Easy to moderate
More grilling and barbeque-related reading in Planet Green and TreeHugger
Green Your Barbeque: Choosing Between Charcoal and Gas
Green Your Barbeque: Make Green Food Choices
Green Your Barbeque: Serve Green Drinks
Cut the Waste from your Next Dinner Party
Make Your Own Ice Cream
New From Recycline: Preserve Kitchen
Green Basics: Compost
Annabelle Says: Compost!
Composting Basics: Make Compost Fast
Composting Basics: Build a Compost Spinner
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