Our take on the true definition of eco friendly party supplies

On a recent visit to our local Spotlight store we came across some Disney-themed plates, cups and cutlery.

They were made from cheap plastic but to our surprise they were labelled "eco friendly". To justify their "eco friendly" claim, written next to those words, were "reusable". 

We scoffed at this claim and a recent post on our Facebook Page found we were not alone in our rolling of the eyes.

Unfortunately though, as we have  found through the creation of Eco Party Box, these types of "eco friendly" claims are not uncommon. 

Many paper plate suppliers are often caught short. Did you know that the majority of paper party plates are coated with a thin layer of wax or plastic to make them more resistant to wetness so they won’t go soggy with tomato sauce? This also helps to preserve the images printed in ink on the paper.

Just recently we got in touch with another party supply company overseas to see if we could stock their products, as it has been difficult to source these types of party products in Australia. 

We were interested to know what their "felt" party hats and party bags were made from. 

Unfortunately the "felt" was actually polyester felt but still carried the claim of "eco friendly" despite being made with a non-biodegradable petroleum-based synthetic fabric. 

Pure wool felt is the better eco choice as it is biodegradble and uses no petroluem in its manufacturing.

But their justification again was it could be reused or regifted - thus making it "eco friendly" too.

Balloons ... a party popper or party pooper?

With Christmas and New Year’s celebrations fast approaching we thought it important to inform our blog readers about the dangers that the lovable latex balloons pose to the environment if not disposed of properly.

Our stance on balloons has been updated (June, 2014) and we no longer stock balloons. Find out why here.

As eco party lovers we have witnessed many compelling debates for and against offering latex balloons to our customers.

This blog talks of the only eco friendly balloon - that is those made from latex, a renewable sap-like extract from the Hevea brasilienesis rubber tree, found mostly throughout Asia and Africa.

We gathered our information from a variety of credible online sources (see the bottom of this article for links) as well as the International Balloon Association (IBA) and Balloon Council (TBC) - both international networks of manufacturers, distributors, decorators, retailers, and entertainers for the balloon industry established in 1990.

In short the conclusion we came to is that it’s not the balloon that does the damage, it's how the consumer disposes of it. The risk to the environment is not IF latex balloons biodegrade, because they do, but WHERE they end up.

Ideas for a Merry Eco Christmas

Of all the world's celebrations its Christmas which produces the most waste direct to landfill.

Here are some ideas to avoid Christmess this month.

Decorations
Deck the halls, room and mantle piece with white, red and green bunting. Make it in paper and string, eco-fi, felt and material. Hang a hand-made wreath on the front door or make one using fresh leaves and flowers.

For table centrepieces you could make your own organic gingerbread house as an impressive centre piece; fill vases with beautiful fresh flowers from the local market; have a beeswax or soy candle surrounded by native leaves and flowers; or a small nativity scene.

Events, Expos and Festivals

Earlier this month we attended the Environmental and Sustainability Expo in Willunga, South Australia.

It was a great opportunity to be part of this innaugural event and it was quite humbling to be surrounded by some great organisations and members of community initatives which share an ethical and environmental focus like us.

Next year we hope the organisers will push for it to be a totally eco catered event. This of course requires a commitment from food and drink vendors to supply only compostable and biodegradable tableware.

We have found that with many events there are very few policies regarding the compostability standards of the cups, cutlery and plates.