7 Stylish (and Eco-Friendly) Party Ideas
Your calendar this fall is likely crammed with festive get-togethers. Whether you're hosting or bringing a gift, here are a few stylish ways to reduce waste and save energy.
By Amanda MacMillan
Photo: Alison Gootee/Studio D
Well-Served
The couple behind Ladies & Gentlemen Studio salvage vintage serving utensils by restoring shine and giving handles a cheerful color treatment
Server, $60 each; LadiesandGentlemenStudio.com
Skipping a paper towel in favor of a cotton tea towel—like this handwoven, fair-trade version by Creative Women—can make a big impact: It's been estimated that if everyone did this just once a day, Americans would save 571 million pounds of paper a year
Tea towel, from $28; CreativeWomen.net for stores
Photo: Alison Gootee/Studio D
Cheers!
Pack a bottle of organic bubbly in a wine tote (made from old sails!) that encourages regifting. Write the date and recipient's name on the bag's "log," and start it on a journey around the world—or at least your circle of friends.
From $35; SeaBags.com
Photo: Courtesy of Wine Punts
Bottoms Up
Made from wine bottles recycled from restaurants, these hip Wine Punts drinking glasses take their name from the dimple winemakers traditionally leave on the bottle's bottom. Diverting glass from the landfill? We'll drink to that
From $24 for four; WinePunts.com
Photo: Alison Gootee/Studio D
Doubly Sweet
These fair-trade vegan truffles are as gentle on the planet as they are bold on the tongue, with flavors like raspberry-balsamic and beet-coriander. Once the chocolates are gone, reuse the pretty porcelain pint they're packed in to store berries.
$35; LagustasLuscious.com
Photo: Courtesy of the Container Store
Got You Covered
If aluminum foil and plastic wrap are your go-to methods for storing leftovers, consider this: Aluminum and plastic will likely linger in landfills for hundreds of years—if not longer. Cover Flex Silicone Lids stretch and stick to fit over pots, plates, and bowls just like foil or wrap, but the durable covers are dishwasher-safe and reusable
$20 for three; ContainerStore.com
Photo: Courtesy of Method
Good, Clean Fun
Stocking the bathroom with Method's new soap bottle—the first of its kind to be made with plastic pulled from the ocean—will help clean guests' hands and our planet.
$5; MethodHome.com
Photo: Courtesy of Night Owl Paper Goods
The Write Stuff
Night Owl Paper Goods spunky thank-you cards, made from sustainably harvested birch, are almost as green as e-mail and will mean so much more to your host
From $6; NightOwlPapergoods.com
Next: Wonderful gifts that give back
From the
November 2012 issue of
O, The Oprah Magazine
