Sustainable Party Hacks to Spend Less, Waste Less, and Celebrate More

There is never a shortage of holidays and special occasions to share with friends, family, and coworkers. But when planning a party the numbers start adding up quickly. Not just the amount of time to coordinate and plan, but the cost across each event for food and beverages, venues, decorations, gifts, entertainment—the list goes on.

The biggest cost of all, however, may end up being paid by the planet. The amount of waste from food and single-use plastics can have a tremendous environmental impact. But this doesn’t mean we shouldn’t get together and celebrate; rather, we can all put a more concerted effort in planning a sustainable party that has a reduced environmental impact and ultimately creates a more meaningful experience for you and your guests.

Parties don’t need to be mutually inclusive with harming the planet or lead to unnecessary spending and waste. Whether you’re hosting at home or in the office, this overview serves as a checklist filled with actionable steps to get you started toward your next thoughtful, budget-conscious, and eco-friendly event.

Essentials for a Sustainable Party

Going into the planning of the party with a sustainable mindset will help save you time, money, and resources. As you read through this list, you may realize that by taking the time to invest sustainably for this initial event, you’ll be able to reuse these supplies and principles for many events to come.

Start Early & Build a Reusable Kit

Invest in Core Items: Build a collection of reusable essentials, like glassware, ceramic plates, stainless steel cutlery, and durable linens that work for various themes and events. Burlap tablecloths, for instance, are low maintenance and can easily be patched up if damaged, making them a versatile choice.

Create an At-Home “Party Closet”: This is especially helpful for work celebrations and busy families who can use easily accessible items for smoother party planning on short notice. A party closet or party bin stocked with reusable basics and classic decor items (think: glassware, linens, serving utensils) helps you organize sustainable events fast—minimizing waste, cost, and stress that can quickly get out of hand at the last minute.

Enlist Help

Designate Roles for Guests: Assign roles among guests or ask friends or coworkers to volunteer for things like drink service or cleanup that will make for a smoother event that reduces your need for disposables.

Hire Additional Support: If help isn’t available from fellow partygoers or coworkers, consider hiring assistance for specific tasks like dishwashing, setup, or teardown if that fits your needs.

Offices can support local, eco-conscious businesses by opting for farm-to-table caterers who avoid wasteful packaging and use sustainable ingredients, helping to reduce waste.

Prioritize What Matters Most

Essentials over Extras: Identify which elements (such as food, music, or decor) are essential to making the event feel special and focus on these. Skip wasteful or frivolous purchases, like excessive party favors that may be enjoyed momentarily but will inevitably be thrown out or shoved in a drawer never to be seen again. Prioritize memorable details instead and center on easy-to-prep, wholesome dishes if planning is rushed.

Sustain Energy with the Right Guests: Surround yourself with guests who bring joy and energy, making the event more enjoyable. Beyond the fact that guest lists made without care can become costly to entertain, thoughtfully chosen company will also help prevent post-party burnout. And the energy and well-being of the party host is also a resource worth treating with care, too.

Low-Waste Food and Beverage Tips

Food and drink are central to many events, so they’re also key areas to reduce waste and make sustainable choices. Creating a menu that’s both delicious and caters to all guests is a difficult enough challenge before taking into consideration how to minimize environmental impact, but the tips below are helpful to get started.

Use Reusable Containers & Materials

Ditch Single-Use Plastics: Use glass, ceramic, or stainless steel for storing and serving food. For cold storage, try reusable silicone bags. Go for glass with hot items to eliminate the harmful effects of plastic. For busy professionals, keep a supply of non-toxic to-go containers at the office for team members to use and return or ask staff to bring their own to-go containers on the day of an event.

With table settings, use ceramic chargers with compostable plates on top to achieve a refined look without resorting to plastic. Real cutlery and ceramic cups also offer elegance without waste.

Rather than plastic straws, cake toppers, or cocktail umbrellas, use edible flowers or recyclable/compostable paper straws as more eco-friendly alternatives.

Use Prep-Friendly Silverware: Choose serving dishes and flatware that can go from oven to table, which cuts down on additional utensils and makes cleanup easier.

Plan a Flexible, Inclusive Menu

Serve Base Dishes with Optional Add-Ons: To cater to various diets, make plant-based dishes as the base (like hearty salads) with optional add-ons like grilled chicken. This mix-and-match approach meets diverse dietary needs with minimal extra prep.

Other add-ons to keep separate would be clearly labeled allergens—and if you or another person is bringing a non-Paleo dish, ask guests to clearly label add-ons or whole dishes that contain dairy, gluten, nuts, and allergens.

Simplify Beverage Options: Instead of overemphasizing alcohol, which can immediately complicate guest dynamics or transportation plans for the end of the event, create a batch mocktail that can also serve as a base for a cocktail where the alcohol can be optionally added. Guests can customize their drink without needing multiple beverage options, cutting down on waste and cost.

Manage Food Waste

Serve Buffet Style: Offer smaller portions with a buffet-style approach to reduce leftovers and provide containers for guests to take extras home (or ask guests in advance to bring their own to cut down on expenses as the host).

Post-Party Food Donations: If you have a surplus, consider partnering with a local charity to donate remaining food. Better yet, plan recipes ahead that allow leftovers to be reused later. Even at the office, you can make simple, conscious choices for leftovers to be repurposed among staff.

Sustainable Party Decor

It’s no surprise that decor and table settings can really set the tone of your event and be so much fun to put together and participate in, too. Choosing eco-friendly decorations not only looks beautiful but also cuts down on waste. Consider the following tips to create an inviting and on-theme atmosphere while remaining sustainable.

Source Seasonal and Natural

Use Locally Sourced Decor: Decorate with natural items like wildflowers, fruits, or seasonal vegetables, which can be reused or composted afterward. As an example, for a Thanksgiving table, a cornucopia filled with seasonal produce from the garden serves as both decor and potential meal ingredients.

When bringing something in from the outdoors, be mindful of not only where or how you source it, but also uninvited party guests (i.e., bugs/critters) and unintentional allergens (e.g., pollen).

Create Interactive Tablescapes: Consider decor that encourages interaction, such as coloring mats for kids or small games as part of the table setting. This engages guests with built-in entertainment and minimizes unnecessary decor waste. Depending on the tablescape, guests may also be able to bring these activities home.

Recyclable & Multi-Purpose Additions

Choose Long-Lasting Centerpieces: Invest in durable centerpieces and cake toppers that can be saved for future celebrations. Using the same statement piece for multiple events reduces waste and creates a fun family tradition.

Repurpose Decorations: Send flowers and other natural decor home with guests or choose arrangements that can last beyond the event.

Party with a Purpose

Hosting a sustainable party may be involve reducing waste and saving resources, but it’s just as much about making intentional choices that create a memorable experience for your guests. Select reusable options, thoughtful decorations, and eco-friendly dining choices to make a positive impact while still being able to celebrate.

Sustainable planning doesn’t require perfection—just a focus on what truly matters.