Another year older, another year wasteful

Kids parties are notorious for generating significant amounts of single-use waste, creating a headache for both parents and the environment. From disposable plates, cups, and cutlery to decorations, goodies bags, and balloons, the accumulation of waste can be overwhelming. However, by actively managing these waste streams, it is possible to reduce our impact on the environment. Exploring creative alternatives to traditional decorations, like homemade crafts or nature-inspired elements, not only adds a personal touch but also minimises the reliance on single-use plastic or non-recyclable materials. By making conscious choices and implementing eco-friendly practices, we can transform kids' parties into enjoyable and memorable events while minimising their environmental footprint.

Balloons: Although certain balloons are marketed as biodegradable, they can still take several years to decompose, causing significant harm to wildlife during that time. While currently there is no direct environmentally friendly replacement for balloons, there are numerous creative alternatives for decorations. Consider exploring options such as bubble machines, disco balls, or party lights to add fun to your celebrations. These alternatives offer an eco-conscious way to decorate without contributing to the negative impact of balloons on the environment and wildlife.

Goodie Bags: Typically, goodie bags are filled with an assortment of individually wrapped chocolates, lollies, and toys that often capture their attention for five minutes before ending up in the bin. If you wish to provide children with a takeaway item, why not consider homemade edible treats such as decorated cupcakes or gingerbread people? Alternatively, you could even just skip the goodie bags altogether, and save yourself of the hassle of organising them!

Decorations: It's quite common to see party themes revolving around kids' favourite cartoon characters, resulting in decorations that are exclusively tailored to that specific theme. However, purchasing materials solely for one party, and perhaps for just one child, often leads to them being thrown away afterwards and creating unnecessary waste. To minimise this, consider opting for decorations that are not heavily themed but can be reused for multiple birthdays across multiple ages. For instance, you could create bunting or pom-pom garlands as a family. You can create your own family tradition out of the shared decorations and enjoy putting them up every year. You could also utilise natural elements like flowers from the garden or make popcorn garlands.

Party plates: Single use party plates favour convenience over necessity, and create unnecessary waste. People often opt to buy compostable plates but will still put them in the rubbish bin (or even worse, the recycling bin), defeating the purpose of how it is designed to break down. To avoid the issue altogether, use ceramic plates you already own, invest in a set of wheat straw plates, or put together a set of op-shop plastic plates you bring out for parties and reuse for years to come.

Smash cakes: I don’t know who started this trend or why they thought it was a good idea, but in 2023 can we cancel smash cakes? Not to use the “there are starving kids in Africa” line, but seriously, need I say more...

Making kids parties more sustainable doesn’t have to be expensive or boring, it just takes a little bit of thinking outside the box to create a celebration that doesn’t leave a heavy footprint on the planet.

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