How to throw a Zero Waste Birthday Party

Lucky for me, I’ve been on a zero waste mission since pre-parenthood (while pregnant with my first), so my kids have only ever known our low-waste approach to life. They’ve been raised with compost bins and cloth diapers, to appreciate hand-me-downs, and to be aware of wastefulness in general – whether it’s trash on a sidewalk, or plastic-packaged produce in a store.

And their birthday parties are no exception. For any celebration we host – Christmas, Easter, luge parties or lemonade stands – we do our best to limit waste.

Here are some simple tips to throwing a low waste kids’ birthday party:

1. INVITATIONS & DECORATIONS

While I generally consider myself to be pretty ‘old school’, invitations are one area where I prefer to embrace technology and just go with an email or text message. Not only is it waste-free, cost-free, quick and simple, but it also helps with RSVP tracking purposes. Confession: I also tend to lose physical invitations, so prefer to have something I can refer to in my inbox 😉

IF your child is eager to hand out physical invitations, why not let them get creative and use up some scrap paper (or one of the 9000000 pieces of school ‘artwork’ that migrates home in their backpack…..)?

For decorations, skip the balloons – as pretty as they are, they are also incredibly destructive to wildlife and the environment (See Balloons Blow or ENC for info and visuals). There are many great reusable alternatives to help accomplish a festive appearance – make your own banners or streamers from fabric or more of that school artwork stash 😉

2. SNACKS

When it comes to birthday party snacks, avoid plastic-packaged foods and disposable dishes – instead, opt for:

• loose plastic-free produce
• snacks that can be bought in bulk (using your own containers), like nuts, pretzels, popcorn, candies
• homemade items, like muffins, hummus, cookies, bread
• if dishes, cutlery or straws are needed, stick to reusables, like these bamboo straws by The Other Straw
• rather than disposable napkins/paper towel, use reusable cloths/towels and have a damp cloth ready for spills 😉

3. DRINKS

We are a family of water drinkers and tend to avoid juice and pop; however, when hosting a birthday party with many thirsty kids around, it’s fun to switch things up – and have options for any potential non-water-drinkers…

For drinks, try preparing a large batch of homemade lemonade or an herbal (non-caffeinated iced tea) like chamomile, hibiscus or peppermint. Sweeten with honey as desired. If there is a desire for “fizzy” drinks, you can make your own soda from regular tap water using a Soda Stream. Plain water is always good to have on hand, too, so fill a few reuseable water bottles or have a jug of water ready (you can even jazz it up with some floating citrus fruit, cucumber or berries!). Don’t forget to use reusable cups!

4. GIFTS

I shared my outlook on gifts in my ‘Tis the Season post from 2015. Obviously this outlook may not be for everyone, so do what works for you/your child.

My kids sometimes like to participate in drafting their birthday (email) invitations. Whether they help with this step or not, we always check in with them about their birthday ‘vision’ (who to invite, what they would like to do, etc.). We are open with them about specifically requesting NO gifts for their party. For them, the party highlight is getting to play with their closest friends, all together.

The ‘no gift’ concept is new to some, and (for whatever reasons) can require some reassurance and/or baby steps – for example, some kids (and parents) like to bring a gift, so perhaps instead suggest “no gifts please – a hand made card would be nice.” Other options : bring a pre-loved book, game or toy, homemade cookies for the birthday kid, or a canned food item to be donated to a food bank on behalf of the birthday kid.

No need for gift wrap. No need for already-busy parents to make another trip to the store. No unnecessary extra ‘stuff’ needed. Shifting the focus to quality time spent with friends, rather than more ‘stuff’ can be really meaningful and a valuable life lesson too.

5. WRAPPING

IF gifts/loot are being exchanged, here are some earth and budget-friendly alternatives to gift wrap:

• check your recycling bin for newspaper or ‘artwork’
• use a scrap of fabric that can be reused endlessly
• repurpose those gift bags, ribbons and bows that you hoard in your closet (… not just me, right?)
• use a thrifted basket or loose twine

6. THE CAKE

In addition to the ultimate highlight of having a play date with their closest friends, a close second-place highlight is the cake – or cupcakes. I love to bake so, to be completely honest, the cake is a highlight for me too. Choosing a theme – whether an animal, character, or some (natural) colour scheme – and getting creative with the design is a fun challenge.

That said, I realize I may be in the minority here as many parents don’t have the time, interest, or enthusiasm for baking that I do. If you prefer to purchase a birthday cake (or other dessert), try going to a bakery where you can BYO tupperware. Many small, local bakeries are happy to place their items (cakes, cupcakes, donuts, pastries, etc.) into a customers’ reusable container. Even Metro grocery chains are getting on the zero waste band-wagon and accepting reusable containers at their deli, pre-made meal and pastry counters!

7. LOOT BAGS

Can we all just agree to skip the loot bags? Please.

I’m not sure when loot bags became a thing, and to be honest, I don’t quite understand them (as per my gift rant above). Rather than perpetuate the habit of buying/consuming more and creating more waste, wouldn’t it be nice if the hosting parents didn’t also have to buy ‘stuff’ for every guest?!?!

While I am 100% in support of skipping loot bags, IF this is something you’re into, here are some good low-waste or no-waste options:

• pre-loved books
• seed packets (for herbs, veggies or flowers)
• homemade crayons (made from melted crayon scraps)
• homemade snacks (cookies, cupcake, popcorn, brittle) in reusable containers
• thrifted items (my daughter once received a vintage tea cup – cute and practical!)

Again, maybe it’s just me (I *really* don’t think it is…), but I’m cool if we all agree to ban the loot forever.

8. ENTERTAINMENT

What is “zero waste entertainment” anyway?

Good question. While it’s true that the choice of entertainment for your little one’s party may not really contribute to wastefulness, we typically go with some sort of DIY outdoor activity – which not only saves money, but also encourages nature appreciation and creativity. Whether rain, shine or snow, we try to get the kids outdoors as much as possible.

Admittedly, this can sometimes be tricky as weather can be unpredictable and often harsh, so we request that kids dress for the weather – rainboots, snow suits, whatever it takes! With two spring babies, we have experienced everything from rain to snow to +20 degrees Celcius – however, throwing an outdoor birthday party during other Canadian seasons obviously presents different challenges.

Some entertainment ideas for an outdoor party:

• obstacle courses (whether in a yard or local park)
• scavenger hunts (we’ve even done a ‘trash hunt’, a.k.a. garbage pick up)
• mud or water play (pots, bottles, funnels, spoons and a big puddle of mud, a stream or a water table)
• sports (set up games of hockey, soccer, tennis, etc.)
• sledding
• fort-building (this works in any season, whether with snow or sticks or bed sheets)
• picnic in the park
• camp out (sleep over in a tent)

These are just a few ideas – I would love to hear others, so feel free to comment below!

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q: But don’t your kids go to other birthday parties and want/expect gifts too?

As they’ve grown up, my kids have been exposed to other approaches to birthday parties through their friends — loot bags, piles of gifts and wrapping paper, disposable cups, cutlery, you name it! Not once (to date) have they requested to mimic others’ party ideas. Instead, my kids’ biggest request typically revolves around the birthday cake design and the excitement of inviting their friends over.

Q: How do you tactfully request no gifts?

Do what feels right for you, but our approach is typically something like this:

Please bring: outdoor attire, appropriate for the weather (rain/snow gear if needed, maybe even a change of clothes) as we plan to be outside as much as possible.
Please do not bring gifts — Kiddo looks forward to a fun day playing with his/her closest buds, no stuff necessary (unless you’re absolutely determined to make a card ? ) Thank you!

Q: What if guests bring gifts anyway?

This has definitely happened – whether out of habit, unwavering desire, or because they didn’t see the ‘no gift’ request in the invitation. Rather than make things awkward, we have simply put the gift aside to be opened later – so that the rogue gift giver and other kids don’t question the inconsistency.

As we’ve been doing this for a number of years now, guests are getting used to this request and we are appreciative.

Q: What do you do when kids ask about loot bags?

Seriously? Do kids ask for loot bags? I’ve never experienced this. Ever.

I honestly think that parents have created the loot bag hysteria. Kids don’t seem to care.

If ever a kid did ask for a loot bag I would be honest and say that we don’t do loot bags.

Q: What do your kids bring as gifts to a party?

See ‘Tis the Season post. We typically create homemade cards and include a gift card (usually also homemade) for experiences – something the kids can enjoy together – museum passes, movie passes, excursions and play dates.

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