Tips From Interior and Fashion Design Experts

All about green beer, green milk shakes, and wearing green. But this year, give new meaning to green by throwing an eco-friendly St. Patty’s Day party. By incorporating green ideas into your celebration, you can show your friends and family that being environmentally aware doesn’t have to be difficult or boring. In fact, with the following party tips, it’s easy being green.

1. Say no to disposables. Americans throw away about one trillion disposable plates and utensils in the trash every year. The greenest thing to do is to use the plates and dishes you already own, or if you need more, to borrow from friends for a mix and match look. Mismatched place settings are the hottest entertaining trend right now, according to interior biophilic design experts.

2. Napkins for a well-dressed table. Millions of paper towels and napkins end up in landfills every day, so here’s an eco-friendly idea that would make any fashion school grad proud. Make your own cloth napkins by recycling old dress shirts, cutting them up into squares, and hemming the edges. With one men’s shirt, you can make several napkins that you can reuse over and over again.

3. B.Y.O.B. (Bring Your Old Batteries). Tell your guests to bring their used batteries, ink cartridges, and magazines, and set up a mini recycling center at your party. Look in the yellow pages or online for your local recycling facility so you can drop off the recyclables the next day.

4. Wear a different kind of green. Encourage your guests to wear clothes that aren’t necessarily green in color, but green in sustainability. Fashion design experts remind us that thrift store finds and clothes that are already in your closet are the greenest alternative of all.

5. Change to soy candles. Candlelight enhances the atmosphere of any party, but most candles sold today are made from paraffin, a by-product of petroleum. A green alternative is candles made from soy wax. Soy candles produce 20% less soot and last up to 50% longer than paraffin candles.

6. Serve a different kind of “green beer”.We’re not talking about the green-colored brew, but the organic one. When a beer is organic, the barley and hops used to make the beer are grown without toxic insecticides, herbicides, fungicides and fertilizers that pollute the water, air, and soil. Ask for organic beers at your local store; you’ll be surprised how many new varieties are cropping up.

7. Put down that corned beef. Consider eating less meat at your party. The cultivation of livestock is one of the largest sources of greenhouse gases. Instead, serve organic fruits and vegetables from the local farmer’s market.