Green Your Seattle Night Out

Hosting a Seattle Night Out party this Tuesday? Want to impress your “deep green” neighbors? Here are some suggestions to reduce waste at any event:

Provide recycling bins for cans, bottles, cups, and other recyclable items. Do the same for food waste. Have a 5 gallon bucket or similar container lined with a biodegradable bag to give folks a clue that food waste goes in there. Use a very small garbage can for landfill-bound waste so guests aren’t tempted to dump everything in it.

Ask your guests to bring their own plate, cup, fork, and spoon.

Or use compostable plates and bowls (non-shiny paper such as Chinet). Put out your own reusable cups and flatware – and throw them in the dishwasher afterward.

Or use recyclable (plastic or waxed paper) or compostable (specially marked) cups. No Styrofoam cups – they are not recyclable.

Avoid disposable forks, spoons, and knives as they end up in the landfill, even the biodegradable/compostable ones. Only commercial Cedar Grove customers can dispose of biodegradable flatware in their food waste carts.

Skip the bottled water. Provide a pitcher or drink dispenser with tap water. Add slices of lemon or lime to make our top-quality Seattle water even more tasty.

Avoid single-serve drink packaging. Buy drinks in large containers or make your own and serve in a drink cooler or pitcher.

When in doubt, just use what you already have at home. Why buy a bunch of stuff that you will just throw away after a few hours? Before you know it, you’ll want a garbage can even smaller then your neighbors’.