Think back to the last child’s party you attended after all the fun and games were over chances are enough paper, cardboard and plastic was strewn around to fill at least a few bin bags and that’s just the wrapping and packaging! Many people don’t realise the glitter, laminate and dyes used in most wrapping paper prevents them from being recycled.
Then there is all the plastic toys and batteries which can take over 500 years to break down in landfill and with the UK already sending 275,000 tonnes of plastic to landfill each year, equal to 15 million plastic bottles per day do we really need to send even more!
A new website, EthicalCommunity.com, has recently launched which aims, amongst other things, to help parents purchase eco-friendly products for their children. Eco conscious Parents can browse from over 7,000 products, learn about the story behind each product, and buy directly from the eco-sellers that made them.
So what can parents do?
It’s surprising how by just changing a few little things you can massively reduce your environmental impact without making any compromises on fun and this often has the added bonus of saving you money too!
1. Switch from disposable to reusable. Use ceramic plates, bowls and cutlery over their paper disposable alternatives, as a one-off dishwasher load is certainly easier to manage than scraping paper plates clean enough to recycle. If you are looking to treat yourself then ‘Eko Earth’ Products, one of many eco sellers found on EthicalCommunity.com, have just released a stylish range of tableware made from the by-product of bamboo and is the first ever fully biodegradable tableware to hit the UK market. Don’t be fooled however, as Biodegradable in this case doesn’t mean disposable but instead means that the collection is reusable and durable.
2. Ditch the “Goodie Bags!”. From one parent to another does any child really need another paper hat or tub of bubbles? Experience based parties such as a trip to the zoo or pottery making leave a lasting memory, which doesn’t get lost at the bottom of the toy box. If you are a traditionalist and are determined to give out goodie bags then why not consider switching to a re-usable gift bag and filling it with sustainable and natural goodies.
3. Loose the wrapping. Spending money on wrapping paper which is only going to be torn up and thrown away is a bit of a waste, instead why not make the wrapping part of the gift itself by wrapping it in Myfuroshiki fabric gift wrap which is a fun and affordable take on the Japanese art of “Furoshiki” (cloth wrapping). With just one of these any shape of object can be easily wrapped with no sticky tape, no scissors and no waste!
4. Get Baking. Mum’s cooking is always best, so bake the birthday cake yourself using local Organic and Fairtrade ingredients and avoid all the unnecessary packaging and cost that comes with shop-bought food.
5. Use eco-friendly candles. Candles made with beeswax are naturally fragrant, nontoxic, soot-free, and non-allergenic. They’re completely renewable and require little, if any, additives which makes them a great alternative to Paraffin wax candles.
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