Pro Tip: A great host doesn’t serve trash to their guests.
Whether it’s hosting a backyard birthday soiree, picnic in the park, or providing refreshments to the soccer team, sustainability is the secret to saving time, money and the neighborhood.
Anyone who has broken a plastic fork and tried to pull shards of broken tines out of their barbequed chicken knows sturdy plates, cups, bowls and utensils provide a more enjoyable experience. From simple hotdogs or hoagies to more substantial burgers, grilled meats or fish, salads and desserts, everything is better served with the right tools.
Like a scene from “Goofus and Gallant Host a Picnic,” the host with the durable gear can relax and join the corn hole game on a breezy day, while the host with disposables is weighing things down so they don’t blow away. Chasing paper plates and napkins through the park is not the best look, but worse are the side-eye looks that come with not successfully retrieving it all.
A recent study by NOAA indicates that most of the trash collected on beaches comes from human activities on the land, with more than 50% of trash items tied to smoking, eating and drinking. On holidays and weekends, public trash and recycling containers have a tendency to be overfilled, and anything not contained within the cans can end up as litter.
Making a one-time investment in reusable items equates to long-term savings from continually buying and throwing away disposable items. Compared to single-use items, a reusable party pack will potentially pay for itself within a year, especially when factoring in the repetitive shopping time and fuel to replenish disposables. Reuse doesn’t have to be new or fancy when you can repurpose what you have, find items on free-sharing and resale marketplace websites, reuse/thrift stores or garage sales for even more sustainability. If you can’t afford to go all-in on a kit, start with a few items like a set of cloth napkins and durable utensils, and build from there.
The ideal grab-and-go reusable picnic and party kit contains:
Utensils (fork, knife, spoon)
Cups
Napkins
Plates
Bowls
Tablecloth
Covered tub or tote
Throw in the other things you might need, like serving utensils, bags to separate trash and recycling, extra containers for guests to take home leftovers, and a jar with soapy water and washcloth.
The argument for disposables is commonly the cleanup factor; proponents for eating off of trash envision cleanup as chucking everything in the garbage can and calling it done, but in reality is not that simple, especially after a plastic fork pokes a hole in the garbage bag and mystery juice leaks inside your car.
Separating the trash from recycling and organic scraps already requires a certain level of consciousness; putting reusable service ware into a tub and taking it to the dishwasher compared to taking out a bag of trash is similarly easy. Simply scrape any food scraps into a sealable container for composting, or just toss everything in the tote tub and sort it out at home. Once clean, put it all back in the tote so it is ready to go the next time.
House party cleanup typically consists of half-full drinks abandoned because they all look the same and no one knows which was theirs. The solution is reusable cups in various colors, lidded cups and bottles that prevent spillage (and spiking). Cleaning up cans and bottles is relatively straightforward, if the container has a CRV value and is empty/dry, it can be recycled, but for most single-use cups, recycling is not the answer. For example, the iconic red Solo cup is made of #6 plastic which is very difficult to recycle through most curbside recycling programs.
Anyone who has broken straws trying to puncture the titanium-strength foil used for juice boxes and drink pouches (and cleaned up sticky remnants from the backseat) knows the struggle is real. Reusable cups and bottles with lids and built-in straws help solve the problem and prevent spills, while also maintaining optimal temperatures. A trendy name-brand cup might earn a few likes on social media, but bargain cups can be just as effective.
For keeping the team hydrated, the one-time cup investment means long-term savings. Refilling cups with juice made from concentrate or prepared in larger containers costs up to fifty-percent less per ounce than packaged individual-sized drinks.
With a few changes, it’s easy and affordable to go from the host with the most trash, to the host with the most time, sanity and savings.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
Zero Waste Palo Alto