Green Entertaining Basics

Make your next party a hit with your eco-conscious friends by following these green entertaining tips. From the invitations to the decorations, tableware and food choices, your guests will marvel at your green party choices.

Text-vites - Skip the formal invitations and opt for the easiest and most convenient way to invite guests to your party: text-vites. You can also use Facebook, email or any of the party invitation websites, without spending any green! It's easy and fast for guests to RSVP electronically.

Cotton is cool - Dress the table in cotton, not plastic. Invest in plain, cloth tablecloths if you host a lot of parties at home. Mix and match the cloth tablecloths with cloth, straw, or bamboo table runners.

Cloth napkins - Purchase and collect cloth napkins from the clearance rack or local discount retailer. Not everything has to match all the time. Adding patterns livens up the table. You can also use cheap bandanas for napkins (whoa there, you just created a Western theme for your party). If you want disposable napkins, opt for those made from recycled materials.

Real plates - Clear glass plates are the most versatile for frequent entertaining. They're also preferable to paper plates and plastic plates. If you really want to go disposable for the plates, look for biodegradable or recycled paper plates and skip the plastic altogether.

Metal utensils - Upgrade any party with metal utensils - the real ones, not the plastic ones that look like metal. Another option is a bioegradable eco-plastic made from the starches of rice or potatoes. Bowls made from sugar cane and reed pulp, a renewable resource are also available.

Drink me - Avoid the temptation to buy cases of bottled water. Instead, set up your own drink station with large glass beverage dispensers filled with ice water. You can leave iced tea mixes or any powdered or liquid beverage flavors out. Guests become their own mixologists. Use multiple beverage dispensers for basics including lemonade and unsweetened iced tea in the summer, or heated canisters of cider, tea, or coffee in the cooler months. Use stainless steel bottles as party favors for small gatherings, or break out the glassware.

Decorator, go lightly - Limit decorations to natural items. Skip balloons, streamers, tinsel, and all of those shiny decorations that are popular at kids' parties.
* Create centerpieces with potted plants or flowers from the garden.
* Make edible centerpieces, which won't go to waste at the end of the night.
* Consider raffia, bamboo, sea shells you collected, rocks, twigs, dried flowers, gourds, or colorful whole fruit.
* Add floating soy candles to a glass bowl with water for a relaxing and natural centerpiece.

Think green, eat locally - Plan your menu around seasonal and locally-grown foods and drinks whenever possible.
* Produce - Serve local foods, from corn you bought from the neighbor's roadside farm stand, the farmer's market, or the local produce section at your grocery store. Serve cider from a local apple orchard in the fall and fresh strawberries and melons in the summer.
* Meats and Dairy - Find a local source for your picnic meats, cheeses, and milk. Try a local farm or butcher. Local is great--organic and local is even better.
* Local Wineries - Serving to a 21+ crowd? Pour them a glass of the local wine, from your state or region.