Ten Tips for Hosting a Green Oscar Party
The A-list celebrities of Hollywood will be gracing the red carpet this Sunday night, February 24, for the Oscars. Some of the celebs (especially Leo and George) will be most likely arriving at the red carpet event in new eco-limos (it’s just hard to ride a bike in a tux.) It’s hip and trendy to be green in Hollywood, in fact; the pre-Oscar party was thrown by Global Green (Salma Hayek was there.) With so many celebs going green, I got to thinking, “Why not emulate Hollywood and throw a green Oscar Party this year?”
(A celeb arrives at the ball in her hybrid carriage.)
If you like the idea of eco-friendly entertaining, here are ten tips about how to have an eco-chic party:
1. Buy Locally-Produced Food—Any time you decide to have lobster in a place like Kansas, then you have to put them on an airplane. And, any time a plane flies, it increases the ‘carbon footprint’ of your party. So, decide on a menu that makes the most of what you have access to locally.
2. Skip the Bottled Water - Filtered water served in ice-filled pitchers is now much more green (and more appealing) than putting out bottled water, because those plastic water containers are clogging landfills at an alarming rate. An interesting tidbit is that if you buy a filter for your sink, it is often better quality than bottled water.
3. Drink Organic—Organic wines and vodkas are all the rage. Some brands suggested by Zem Joaquin, Eco-Editor of House & Garden, are: Sinskey, Sincerity, and Bonterra (which are brands of wine) and Square One, 350, and Rain (which are types of vodka).
4. Serve Other Organics—Consider other food and beverages now becoming more widely available in organic food stores as well as supermarkets, including: coffee, tea, and my favorite…chocolate.
5. Think Reusable Tableware—Use your own china, glassware, and silverware. (This actually makes for a nicer presentation, anyway.)
6. Biodegradable dishes and service pieces—An innovative party staple is tableware that you can throw away, but that won't take up space for eons in a landfill. Plates made of sugar cane (now, you have an excuse to lick the plate), or corn-based products will biodegrade in about six months. Bamboo is also hot right now, since it is quickly renewable, strong, and biodegradable.
7. Some sources for biodegradable tableware include:
NatureWorks
World Centric
Greenfeet
Branch Home
Re:Modern
8. Quick Quiz: What type of dishes, cups, and other party-ware should you avoid at all costs? Green wisdom says, “Styrofoam.”
9. Plants and Flowers -- The key to flower eco-friendliness is to buy locally and organically grown blossoming stems. (The idea is to avoid using airplanes to carry the blooms from faraway places.) Another good earth-friendly choice for floral decorations: buy flowering plants and place them in decorative pots or wrap the pots in natural fabrics tied with raffia or lovely ribbons. One idea that I love is to ask your florist to suggest potted plants that could adorn your garden after the event is over. You could also give the flowers to your guests or have someone take them to a local hospital or nursing home, where they'll brighten up someone’s day.
10. Gifts for Your Guests – Gift bag (or should I say, “swag bag”) ideas for parties include natural shampoos and lotions, organic cotton hand towels, soothing candles made of soy or bees' wax (and of course, organic TONIC tees.)
As you enjoy your organic chocolate dessert, served on your own beautiful china, and sip your organic wine this Sunday, you can enjoy it even more knowing that you are not only partying like a celebrity, you are being green like a celebrity. (I wonder how many of the actresses will be donning ‘green’ frocks.)
~Melissa
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