How can you throw a party that keeps down carbon emissions? The events industry contributes 10% to global carbon emissions every year, the equivalent of the carbon emissions from the USA. Make throwing a party eco-friendlier by following the tips below. These actions will reduce the carbon emissions produced from what you use at your party:

Avoid beef and lamb

The most carbon-emitting meat is beef and lamb. Beef is the main driver of deforestation in the world because so much land is needed to grow the food they eat. Lamb also has an almost equally high carbon footprint. If you can substitute beef and lamb for chicken, pork and fish then this will significantly reduce your carbon footprint.

Use recyclable wrapping paper

Unfortunately, not all wrapping paper is recyclable. What recycling experts say is recyclable is wrapping paper that is scrunchy and has no glitter on it. This will make it easier to reduce waste created from the party.

Avoid single use plastic

Most plastic is hard to recycle and so end on landfill and in the sea, harming sealife. It doesn’t help that there are many types of plastic of which only some can be recycled. Flexible plastic can’t be recycled, which is part of lots of packaging. So where possible, avoid using single use plastics like balloons and party poppers.

Compost food leftovers

Food waste causes carbon emissions if it goes to landfill. Ways to avoid this is to not to buy too much food for the party and what is left over should go in the compost bin.

Buy local where possible

Buying and renting products locally is best because you reduce the emissions created by transport. Buying food locally rather than what has come abroad. Also with alcohol, it is better to buy beer and wine which comes closer to the UK than from a different continent.

Rent what you need for a party

You may not think twice about buying single use items such as paper plates, cups and napkins, but paper products are one of the biggest reasons for deforestation. Each year, 16.5 million trees are cut down to make paper cups. Also, these products are contaminated by food and cannot be recycled despite that they are made of paper. Ultimately, they will end up in landfill and create more emissions. So, try using reusable items where possible to help reduce deforestation and waste.

Reduce amount of dairy in party food

Dairy products are products that include milk which comes from cows. Rearing cows takes up a lot of land and is the main reason for deforestation. This why products with milk have much high carbon emissions. If it possible to substitute food that typically has milk in it, such as cakes, biscuits, mayonnaise and cheese for dairy free substitutes, the better it will be for your carbon footprint.

Buy seasonal food produce

What adds to the carbon footprint of food is where it comes from. The further it comes from the UK, the more emissions it will have. We live in a time when everything can be imported from abroad and we can have any fruit and vegetable throughout the year. If it comes from abroad, it depends whether it has come by airplane or boat. If it has come by boat it is fine, but fruit that has come by airplane and out of season is bad. For the UK, serving bananas, oranges and apples all year round is fine because they are brough to the UK by boat.

Think about what goes in the party bags

If you are throwing a kids party, then you are probably giving out party bags. The best thing to do is put in products that are made of wood, paper and glass because they easy to recycle. Avoid plastic because they are hard to recycle and in reality only 10% of plastic is ever recycled.