Be a Zero Waste Party Planner

By Brianna Linn

It’s no secret that summer has made its way to Austin; the kids are out of school, Barton Springs is packed with visitors and the familiar smell of barbeque fills the evening air. This season comes with many fun-filled activities like pool parties, family reunions, and holiday celebrations. Hosting a party is no easy feat, and it's so important to remember how the food you serve and how your dispose of it can impact the City of Austin’s zero waste by 2040 goal. If party decorations are on your summer shopping list, follow these three tips to keep your social gathering eco-friendly:

1. Avoid Single-Use Items: If you want to be a zero waste pro, you have to go the extra mile by avoiding single-use plastics. A whopping 40,000,000,000 plastic forks, spoons and knives are used every year. Replacing plastic utensils with reusable silverware decreases the amount of waste going to landfills. While planning your party, help yourself out by thinking of ways to eliminate these single-use items. Before buying new decorations, do you have anything leftover from a previous party that could be repurposed for this occasion? Can you ask guests to bring their own plates or thrift a reusable dish set from a local store? While getting rid of single-use items may require more creativity, it is worth the extra effort to help the environment. 
2. Recycle Properly: Summer introduces some seasonal store items like sunscreen and pool chemicals. All City of Austin residential curbside customers are encouraged to use the What Do I Do With… tool to find out how to safely dispose of these chemicals. Pool chemicals that are improperly disposed can harm aquatic life if they enter storm drains or waterways. The What Do I Do With… tool can also help you schedule an appointment to drop off the item at the Recycle & Reuse Drop-off Center. 
3. Be Mindful of Food Waste: It’s no surprise that most social gatherings include a variety of food, and with that comes food waste. In the United States, people waste over 90 billion pounds of food a year. Oftentimes, hosts overestimate the amount of food they need for an event, so our tip is to send out RSVPs to attendees so that you buy a more accurate amount of food. If you do end up having leftovers, eat it before it goes bad or put the remaining food scraps in your green composting cart. Remember, if it grows, it goes! Learn more ways to prevent food waste.