When we think of weddings, we might think of all the things that go into it. But what about all the things that come out of it? Particularly, what about all the waste products that our party will produce? To keep in mind some ways that you could easily reduce the amount of waste produced by your wedding and be nicer to the Earth on the day you take your vows, I’ve done a little research and put together a list of ways we can create a wedding that can drastically cut out the amount of waste our wedding produces.
How Much Waste Is Produced?
I’ve been to a few weddings as a guest and I can say that every time I go to get a drink from the open bar, I get handed a new plastic cup. The same goes for disposable plastic plates and cutlery. Being a bridesmaid a few times, I know that the amount of waste and energy I used increased substantially from all the extra stuff we did and used to get ready for the actual wedding. So, even if we just take the amount of waste I produce as a guest, multiply that by as many guests you have, and by the end of the night, you could very well end up with literal loads of bagged trash and waste that’s purpose was used only for a very brief period.
Plates
Using actual plates is a huge way to start reducing the amount of garbage you will produce by the end of the day. When guests sit down to have their main meal, having real plates instead of one-time-use ones will drastically support the environmental effort. The best part is that this can be a really cheap way to go too. Some venues offer plates already for you to use. A recently married couple that I know found a bunch of beautiful mix and match vintage-looking plates at the thrift store, washed them all off, and paid pennies for all of them! Being creative with the plates can really pay off!
Cups and Drinks at the Bar
With cups, especially at the bar (if you choose to have one) can really crank up the trash count as I mentioned before.
One potential option could be to start off with reusable cups and when those are all used up, switch to recyclable cups. Or, you could stick with the recyclable ones, but make sure the guests put all their recyclables in a designated recycle bin.
Lastly, if there are specialty cocktails that you are having made at the bar, consider having a beverage dispenser with those particular beverages pre-mixed. This way, guests can go up and have their glasses easily refilled without ever having to switch cups.
No Confetti, Balloons, and other Plastic Nonsense
Many venues these days prohibit the use of confetti anyways. It really is a nuisance and the stuff gets everywhere, making it a nightmare to clean. Balloons, as we know, get popped or deflate, leaving us with withered-up rubber and ribbon that is destined for the landfill.
Instead, consider using different centerpieces to decorate as well as items that can be rented or borrowed. Some examples of things to put on the tables are candles, lanterns, flowers, floating tea lights, pottery, pretty stones, pictures, string lights, reusable bows for the chairs, etc…
There are so many décor options that adding confetti or balloons is really not needed to spice up the space. Plus, once the tables are neatly set, there really is no need for extra pops of shine from plastic.
Okay, so let’s say you really just can’t give up the confetti and you are willing to go the extra mile. A great alternative to confetti is to make your own biodegradable confetti out of leaves! Yes, take some leaves, some dried ones will work well because they have the texture of this paper. Then take a paper puncher and punch out a bunch of leaf confetti. It will take some time, but it can be super cute!
Table Settings
Speaking of table settings, I strongly suggest trying to rent or borrow these. Ask to see if your venue offers any of these items for free. Many married couples will leave their table adornments with the venue after their wedding since they no longer have a use for any of them.
You can also get really creative and make your own. I think the trick here would be to keep it simple, to not accidentally create more waste. One of my best friends had another one of her friends who is a ceramicist, make homemade pieces of pottery for her centerpieces and they looked great and added a nice sentimental touch.
Consider a Shuttle
This is a good option for a few reasons. If many people are staying at a hotel near the wedding venue, this will cut down greatly on the number of cars that need to be running throughout the night. Additionally, it allows people to not have to worry about driving home in the dark or drinking alcohol during the evening. They get to enjoy the night without the added stress AND it saves on gas.
Recycle
Make sure that there is a bin labeled appropriately so that guests know without question which bin is trash and which is for recycling. Then, appoint someone at the end of the night to be in charge of taking that recycling bin. This can require a bit of planning because it would probably be best handled with someone who has a truck bed to easily fit all the recyclables in there. But, the payoff is that all of that material will not end up in a landfill, and that feels much better.
Donate Left-Overs
Not all the food and dessert will go, but that doesn’t mean you have to pitch all of that great energy. Instead, consider appointing yet another person to recover the untouched food and take it so that it can be donated to a shelter, given out to the homeless, given to neighbors or older folks who find it more challenging to cook for themselves. It never hurts to give:)
I hope you found these ideas helpful when considering the environement and your own carbon footprint when planning out your wedding. Comment below if you have any other great ideas to create an environmentally friendlier wedding.