Be eco-conscious, partygoers urged

It’s the season for many parties. And environmentalists expect holiday shindigs to generate “a serious amount of waste.”

Thus, an international environment conservation organization joined calls for the public to be “as eco-conscious as possible” this season by keeping the environment in mind to “seriously reduce” their party’s carbon footprint.

“These are desperate environmental times, and a big holiday bash can produce a serious amount of waste. From decoration trimmings to party favors and leftovers, keeping the environment in mind will seriously reduce your party’s carbon footprint. Enjoy your party more knowing that you are minimizing ecological impact with a ‘green’ party,” said Gregg Yan, information, education and communications officer of World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF-Philippines).

The WWF-Philippines issued seven simple “green” party tips to help the public become environment conscious, especially at this time of the year.

According to the group, the first step to an eco-friendly party is planning ahead to determine the theme for this year’s party, and know the number of people to expect in order to cut down on waste.

“It saves you from rushing to the store and buying unnecessary items that eventually end up in the trash bin or closet,” the WWF-Philippines said.

The WWF-Philippines also urged the public to “decorate with Earth in mind” by avoiding one-time use ornaments like plastic and foil trimmings and using instead genuine flowers and plants like poinsettias and pine cones, which make for more festive and homey ambiance.

For bigger celebrations, the WWF-Philippines suggested the use of past decors and leftover trimmings or put a little glitter and gold paint on “recycled” decorations to give it a fresh look.

To minimize carbon emissions, the group said the public can opt to just e-mail the invites and make use of text messaging rather than have party invitations printed.

This “techie” mode, it also said, is more hip and up-to-date, as it is considered better than sending over a messenger with a printed invite.

Also, the WWF-Philippines said the people must avoid the use of paper plates and plastic cups and cutlery. But when it cannot be helped, the group said people should look for products that are biodegradable.

“Remember, the goal is to avoid reckless consumption and having these materials end up in landfills,” the group said.

As for party favors, the WWF-Philippines encouraged the public to also go green. The group said door prizes could be obtained from eco-friendly or “sustainable stores” instead of the usual corporate giveaways.

For the larger door prizes, the group said “green travel packages” could serve as a better giveaway.

Meanwhile, after-party cleanup should include clearly marked and appropriately labeled bins and trash bags for proper disposal, the group said.

The WWF-Philippines said people can form a “green police team” to deal with the garbage expected to be produced during parties.

“Remember, all party animals have a duty to their environment,” Yan said. “Make sure this is a message that comes across to your guests to get them onboard as well. By implementing these simple tips, we lessen our impacts on the planet.”