Summer Entertaining: Recycle-Style

image via: Country Living

As you plan your upcoming summer entertaining (grilling for Memorial Weekend, anyone?) consider consulting your recycling bin in addition to your recipe collection. You may not even realize all the materials that can multitask as part of your party. From decorations to ambiance and table settings, we’ve compiled some great ways to green your next summer party. Try a few of these options, and your guests will be entertained both by your meal and your environmentally savvy recycle-style.

Invitations

You can green your summer party before it even starts by purchasing invitation cards made from recycled paper. With a plethora of attractive options now available in recycled materials, your guests will be inspired by both the thoughtfulness of your invite and the invitation itself. For 100 percent post-consumer recycled paper options, check out Paper Culture’s selection. For printing that makes a difference, Print for Change donates 50 percent of its profits to feeding children in Haiti.

Plates and Flatware

There have been chic design advances in non-breakable, casual dinner and flatware like melamine. You can also assemble fun, mismatched dining pieces from extras in your cabinet combined with like-colored items from local thrift stores or garage sales. Unfortunately, used paper plates and napkins are still non-recyclables due to the food and grease contaminants attached to them, so using washable dishes and cutlery along with cloth napkins and table coverings are still the best way to reduce waste at the table.

Food and Drinks

Of course we know you have your favorite outdoor grilling recipes already ready to go. But, as you select food for your event, consider buying from local farmers and shops. You may even be surprised how much better locally raised, free-range meat tastes with your old-faithful recipes and marinades. For beverages, look for wineries in your area that allow you to bring your own bottles for filling or local breweries that will take back used bottles for recycling or reuse when you’re done.

When the meal is complete, consider directing guests to a compost bin for leftover food scraps or other compostable party items. It may even provide a great topic of conversation for guests who enjoy gardening or are considering composting on their own.

Decorating

Repurpose old wine and beer bottles before you commit them to your recycling.  Paint them in your party theme’s colors and use them as vases and centerpieces for your tables. For other DIY green party decorations, Design Sponge created this handy idea guide that uses items you already own like magazines and office supplies.

And, don’t forget about trash, foodwaste and recycling signs for your receptacles. Feel free to paint or sketch them in your party’s theme colors on old cardboard you were planning to recycle anyway.

Lighting

There are beautiful and conversation-worthy upgrades to garden and patio lighting that both adults and children will love. Look into solar-powered options that will power themselves once set up, so you can amp up the party atmosphere but not your electric bill. For example, these solar-powered LED Firefly Magic Firefly Lights were developed by an inventor in North Texas. They’re so lifelike, in fact, they’re even being used in zoos, nature centers, museums and university field research to trick actual fireflies!

Image via FireFlyMagic.com

We hope you enjoy your parties this summer season and that these tips help you and your friends, family and neighbors make choices to dine outdoors in style with eco-responsibility in mind.

Have tips of your own? We’d love to hear your ideas in the comments below.

Have a great party!