A More Planet Friendly Way to Throw a Party.
I started my journey to live more sustainably when my son was a baby. What started as an interest in finding out more about the impacts of single-use plastic, quickly snowballed into daily discussions about what we were putting into our bin. As a family we’ve worked hard to reduce our waste. We certainly aren’t at zero waste, but we’ve significantly cut down the amount of waste we generate.
As my son was approaching his second birthday and the party invites from friends started to arrive I could see that our new approach to waste didn’t fit very well with the traditional idea of a kids party. From presents to decorations and tableware, there was just so much waste. So when I read a blog post about a party kit set up by a lady in Frome I knew I had found my answer!
Reducing Waste at Parties
Parties are a time of celebration – an opportunity to come together and make memories. But parties can be pretty wasteful.
Founded in 2019, the Party Kit Network is working to increase access to reusable tableware and provide a practical alternative to disposable items like paper plates or plastic cups.
The Hidden Cost of Disposable Partyware
A huge amount of energy and water goes into the manufacture and transportation of disposable plates and other partyware. After they are used for just one party, much is destined for the bin.
Paper plates are difficult to recycle and usually contaminated by food waste, meaning they go straight to landfill where they can take up to 20 years to break down.
By switching from disposable to reusable tableware for your next party you could save an average of over a 100 single-use items from landfill. It’s an easy way to reduce the carbon footprint of your party.
Switching to Sustainable Reusables
The party kit concept offers easy access to eco-friendly reusable tableware.
Party kits include reusable plates, cups, bowls, cutlery, jugs and more. The kits often come with decorations and optional extras such as table linen and pass-the-parcel bags.
By borrowing rather than buying, party kits allow more people to access reusable tableware for a fraction of the cost. Storing enough tableware for the occasional party often isn’t practical and won’t enable us to get the most value from the resources needed to manufacture reusables, therefore it makes sense to share items and so they are used more frequently.
But what about all that washing up? One of the perceived benefits of disposable plates was the lack of washing up. With modern dishwashers, washing reusables plates really isn’t that bad but many party kits can offer a washing up service so you still get the benefit of disposables together with a better quality product for your party.
Find your local party kit: www.partykitnetwork.org/find
Power of The Network
The Party Kit Network brings together people from all over the globe who run party kits for their local community. There are now over 500 people from 9 countries offering party kit hire.
Whether it’s individuals running a kit from home, a school PTA, a local zero waste shop, school PTA, toy library or small party business, each kit works in much the same way.
Party kit owners are free to choose the equipment included in their kit. These range from basic kits of plates and cups to full on packages including decor for the most amazing themed parties. So while party kits may not all look exactly the same, we all share the same passion for making parties memorable but without making unnecessary waste.
By working together we can increase awareness of the party kit concept and support each other to grow and improve the concept.
If you’re interested in setting up a party kit for your local community, download the ‘Get Started’ guide here: www.partykitnetwork.org/start
About Isabel Mack
Isabel is a mum of 2 living in Winchester UK. An anti-waste activist, Isabel was inspired to set up the Party Kit Network in 2019. She runs her own party kit and was listed on the Top 100 Women in Social Enterprise list 2022.
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