6 ways to make your New Year’s Eve party more eco-friendly

There’s an innate human desire to constantly improve – something that extends to wanting each New Year’s Eve party to be better than the last. But this aspiration can be pretty taxing on the environment.

Here are some alternative eco-friendly ideas to traditional NYE essentials that will help you start 2020 on the right foot.

Make it rain

Instead of tossing shiny tinsel or store-bought confetti when midnight strikes, make your own this year by shredding old newspapers or leftover wrapping paper from Christmas.

An even better option is to punch holes out of dried leaves with a hole puncher. This is especially good for outdoor parties as you don’t have to worry about picking it up at the end of the night.

Turn it up

It’s always great to start the New Year with a bang, but not so great when you’re left with a bin full of noisemakers. Clappers, blowouts, kazoos and party poppers all contain plastic components that could take a thousand more New Years to decompose. You can easily create your own shakers with toilet paper rolls. Simply fill them with uncooked beans and press the ends inwards to seal them in.

A night of memories

Everyone enjoys a good photo booth, and it’s always nice to have pictures you can look back on at the end of each year. But the trend for an extensive selection of props and signs means even more stuff that will end up in the bin at the end of the night. Besides, why waste money buying them from a store when you can easily make your own?

Invite a few friends to come over before the party starts to help you set up. You can make silly hats or wigs out of old newspapers or old clothes (both recyclable!), and cut out the numbers of the incoming year from leftover wrapping paper, then stick it up on the wall.

You’ve been served

When hosting a dinner party it’s always best to use your existing tableware, but if you’re staying up till midnight (or beyond), we understand if you want to avoid having to wash up after your guests have gone.

If you do decide to go with disposable tableware, avoid using plastic plates and cutlery. Opt for ones made of recycled paper or wood instead. They may be single-use, but they are a lot better for the environment than plastic, as they will disintegrate.

Noms

While we’re on the subject of dinner, why not get a head start on your new year’s resolutions, and serve food that’s better for you and for the planet. Meat-free, or meat-light dishes, with plenty of fresh vegetables, are the obvious solution – and if you have the time and skills to make them yourself, you can make healthier ingredient choices, even if you decide to serve pizza, nachos and fries.

It's not the Met Gala, after all