Hosting a Plastic Free Event

1/1/2025

We love sea turtles and fish and as ocean advocates, we want to minimize our plastic waste stream and eliminate any waste entering the marine ecosystem. Right?

But how can we reduce ocean plastic? Plastic bottles, plastic wrap, plastic containers: plastic is everywhere!

As consumers we can avoid purchasing single use containers, like soft drinks in plastic bottles. Carrying your own reusable water bottle and cutlery kit is not that difficult. Hosting events can present more of a challenge but with planning and providing advance information, hosts can reduce their waste and impact. Event hosts and planners who plan on a new year’s party or other event in 2025 can follow the guidelines in this guide to reduce plastic in our waste stream and protect marine wildlife!

In advance, hosts can announce the intent for a plastic free sustainable event and encourage guests to bring their own water bottles and cutlery.

For pot-lucks, encourage guests to avoid plastic to go containers, and ask them to bring reusable containers. Ask your guests to take their own and reusable containers home with them for cleaning and reuse, disposal or recycling. Here are some tips for event hosts for a plastic free event.

1. Provide paper or reusable bamboo plates instead of plastic
2. Replace plastic cutlery with recyclable or compostable cutlery, or provide reusable kits
3. Use aluminum cans or recyclable bottles, or provide large drinks containers to dispense drinks
4. Replace plastic cups with reusable cups like aluminum or glass
5.  Forget the cling wrap and substitute with beeswax wraps or aluminum foil
6. For cleanup, use septic-tank friendly paper towels for napkins and wipe ups. Bring cloth towels for wipe ups / miscellaneous cleaning
7. Provide dispensable sanitizer to minimize soap and water use
8. Provide event planners with a list of sustainable items (with direct purchase links) to choose from (instead of plastic) to make decision making/buying easier. Here is a link to Eco-Friendly supplies.

Finally, we can support Shark Stewards with the Earth Island Institute in our lawsuit against the top ten plastic producers.

ICLEI SUSTAINABLE EVENT GUIDELINES PDF

Plastic Pollution Coalition Plastic-Free Holiday Guide: Gatherings & Gifts

Plastic Collective How to Reduce your Plastic Footprint