Make your next party, a shade of green

It's easier than you think!

Those of us who have planned a child’s birthday party (at least until the age of 5) are well aware of the herculean effort that can sometimes go in. To me, birthday parties are God’s way of preparing us for our kids’ big day a few decades from now.

We overstretch ourselves in every way to make the day super special for our kids and our families, and to ensure that we successfully pass this crucial test of our organizing capabilities. Most of us spend more than we can afford – both in terms of time and money, and need a three day holiday at the end of it to just get over the tizzy.

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As our brain freezes over, we often overlook some important things – prime among those is recognition of the fact that a child’s birthday party is a huge opportunity for doing your bit for the environment.

Here are 4 reasons why your next birthday party should be an eco-friendly one:

  1. Cut the carbon: Birthday parties are like big non biodegradable waste dispensers. Almost every material used for decorating, serving or gifting is bad for the environment. This includes plastic or styrofoam serve ware, rubber and latex balloons, shiny plastic based wrapping paper, and finally the inexpensive Chinese imports that we gift or provide as party favors. According to some simple math, if even 150 people were to organize birthday parties differently we could reduce 1 tonne of waste that’s clogging our cities. (Read this article to understand the calculation)
  2. Dare to be different: And make your party more memorable for everyone, and discover new ways of doing things. Stretching your own boundaries and having fun!
  3. Because now you quite easily can: While it does take a little more planning than just calling an event organizer (because there aren’t that many who do this kind of thing), the good news is that there are lots of ways of ways that you can make small changes. There are a list of places you can organizes these parties at, games you can play, toys you can gift, and experts you can rely on. If you’re a crafty (not the wrong kind) mom, there are amazing ideas out there that you can get your kids involved in to make every bit of the party feel more special. There are also some awesome products available now in disposable serve ware. It’s really just about remembering to make that choice.  For ideas – read our article on 10 ways to throw an eco-friendly party
  4. Help your kids truly imbibe what they are taught at school : Eco-friendly living is a message that is hammered into kids early on in schools today. It’s however an incomplete loop, because very rarely do we end up reiterating it at home. By focusing on the environment on the most important day of their year, we help drive the message home (literally!)

To use a cliche, Rome wasn’t built in a day, and there’s no need to try and do everything. But today there’s also no excuse for not doing anything :) Go ahead and try it out! It will be worth it!

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