How to Throw an Amazing Sustainable Holiday Dinner Party

With the holidays right around the corner, you are probably ready to start brainstorming on the best sustainable dinner ideas that will dazzle and delight your friends and loved ones. Granted, the holidays are full of sensory experiences, but if there is one thing that often takes the back seat when planning a dinner party, it’s the amount of waste that these heartwarming gatherings can cause.

From party materials and single-use plastic cups/plates to the enormous food waste, the list goes on and on. So To help you keep your guests and the planet happy, we created a guide with easy tips on how to throw a green dinner party in 2022 and beyond.

Tips for hosting a sustainable dinner party

Zero waste invitations

Even if you are a creative soul with dozens of artful invitation ideas, it would be best to take the digital route. We are all practically living online, so why invest in single-use crafting materials when you can DIY the perfect paperless digital invitation with absolutely no waste? Paperless invitations are not only cheap and easier to make, but also a great way to reduce your party’s environmental footprint. Sites like Greenvelope, Evite, and Punch Bown let you upload your own custom design or tailor one of the pre-made templates and personalized digital envelopes!

Sustainable dinner party decorations

Eco-friendly lighting

Create a nostalgia-inducing environment that will make your guest remember your green dinner party fondly by putting up solar lanterns or by lighting up classic beeswax votives. They are both fantastic ways to create a heartwarming holiday ambiance.

Locally-grown flowers

Did you know that flowers come with a huge eco-footprint? Yes, in most cases, they are imported from abroad and stored in refrigerated airplanes. 

Opt instead for locally-grown flowers from a vendor like Bloom & Wild and don’t forget to donate the flowers afterward. Random Acts of Flowers and Repeat Roses are both happy to re-home your flowers.

Herbs & leaves

Here’s another tip for hosting a sustainable dinner party: put your trust in greenery. Instead of buying flowers, you can always upgrade your zero-waste party decor with fresh pine needles, herbs, branches, corn stalks, and colorful leaves - just to name a few options.

Party rental services

Now, if you are ready to throw a green dinner party with many guests, borrow necessities like chairs, tables, and tablecloths instead of buying them brand new. There are many party-supply renters like USA Party Rental and Party Rental LTD that can help you host an amazing sustainable dinner party with minimum waste.

Food ideas for a sustainable dinner party 

Party food waste? Not this time! Processed foods and pre-made meals are always wrapped in single-use plastic. So why not make your own delicious recipes like appetizers, snacks, main courses, and of course, mouthwatering desserts instead of opting for plasticized options? Here are the best tips on how to throw a green dinner party guilt-free with a simple formula: Shop, prep, cook, and store.

Shop locally-grown ingredients with organic bags

Most ingredients travel 1,500 miles to reach your door! Now, if you consider that we also come home from the grocery store with 1,500 single-use plastic bags annually, you’ll quickly realize that zero-waste shopping bags are not just an option, but a downright necessity.

Make sure to visit the farmer’s market or any other local vendor to grab some fresh, organic, seasonal ingredients for your sustainable dinner part. The Cotton Mesh Reusable Produce Bags will be your GOTS-certified shoppingmate. Thanks to the cotton mesh, these reusable bags stretch to the shape of your products so that you can safely store everything from garlic, onions, and parsley to fruits and other veggies.

Also, from the grocery cart to your kitchen counter, the beech wood toggles will keep your ingredients secure as you try to check off everything from your list.

Use zero-waste product bags to stash away your ingredients

Portion control is key and thus, food prep is recommended. However, most of the time, we’ll end up with some extra ingredients. Don’t fret! You can always Cotton Muslin Reusable Produce Bags to seal your herbs, bread, rice, grains, and more to keep them fresh for your next cooking session. These GOTS-certified organic cotton bags feature easy-to-close drawstring ties as well as colorful tags indicating their weight. Honestly, who needs Nylon & Polyester when you can store everything in display-worthy produce bags?

A green dinner party begins in the kitchen

Now that you have all the much-needed ingredients for your sustainable dinner party, it’s time to get to work! That’s exactly where a Silicone Baking Mat comes in handy. Whether it's a delicious delicacy or the main course, FDA and LFGB-approved and BPA-free reusable baking mats are zero waste — unlike parchment paper or foil! Sustainability aside, silicone is also way more durable than most other options. Bleached Cellulose Paper and Aluminum + Polymer Film, for example, can withstand temperatures up to 425°F and 400°F respectively. Silicone mats are oven safe for up to 428°F!

If you are tired of having to repurchase liners constantly, our Silicone Baking Cups have all your baking needs (and wallet) covered. They carry the exact same benefits as the silicone baking mat — plus, they will look fantastic when displayed on your sustainable dinner party table. 

Store leftovers in Munchie Boxes for guests

If there are any leftovers, encourage your guests to take them home to avoid any food waste. All you have to do is grab a stainless steel Munchie Box Stack with FDA/LFGB approved silicone lids and leak-proof inner silicone rings and safely store their leftovers before they head back home.

Store your own leftovers

Now to manage your own leftovers! You can place the food in  100% food-grade silicone reusable food storage bags to Freeze and then microwave them to defrost. Of course, you can use a stainless steel bento box made with 304-grade stainless steel with FDA and LFGB-approved silicone lids to keep your leftovers fresh and secure till the next day.

Use zero-waste dish soap to make your dishes sparkly clean again

There's always something better to do than clean the dishes, but unfortunately, this daunting task is a part of the process. After finishing your sustainable dinner party, it's time to leave all the dirty work to our Zero Waste Concentrated Dish Soap. Free from dyes, artificial fragrance, and parabens, this coconut oil-based formula will get rid of odor, grease, and grime in the most eco-consious way possible. Don’t forget to store it on a draining soap tray and allow it to fully dry between uses afterward.

There you have it; our best tips on how to throw a [green] dinner party during the holiday season. From zero-waste decorations and utterly cute paperless invitations to clever food prep and storage solutions, your sustainable dinner party will certainly leave a memorable impression on your friends and loved ones.