If you’re looking for people- and planet-friendly ideas for weddings and commitment ceremonies (or any celebrations of love), there are many ways to show your love without plastic. The wedding industry generates tons of plastic pollution, with the average wedding estimated to produce around 400 pounds of garbage and the equivalent of 63 tons of carbon dioxide—yet there are plenty of ways to make your big day stunning while still keeping it sustainable. No matter how you choose to celebrate, we’ve gathered some plastic-free wedding and reception ideas to help you be kinder to people and the planet. Even if you’re unable to eliminate plastic completely, implementing just a few of these suggestions can help significantly reduce wastefulness and plastic pollution.
Best Practices for Eco-Friendly Catering and Dining
Catering waste can be staggering at large gatherings, with mountains of plastic single-use cups, plates, and utensils discarded as garbage by the end of the event. Here are some ways to make your event catering and dining more sustainable:
Choose family-style service: Instead of offering guests plated meals with individual portions, opt for family-style eating to reduce food waste and allow guests to choose their own portion sizes. Encourage close friends and family members to take home leftovers in reusable containers when the party is over.
Opt for local and organic food: Choose locally grown, organic food options delivered in bulk without packaging for your catering and dining when you can.
Select reusable dinnerware: Skip plastic single-use plates and utensils in favor of reusable foodware. If you can’t choose reusable, look for compostable foodware made from bamboo or palm leaves. If choosing single-use, truly biodegradable, nontoxic options are the way to go. Beware of bioplastics, which can be just as wasteful as plastics and create similar types of pollution and health hazards.
Choose a Plastic-Free Wedding Cake
Wedding cakes are sometimes covered in plastic toppers and wrapped in cling film, but you can avoid that with these alternatives:
Local bakeries: Support local bakeries or individual bakers who make sustainable practices a priority and ask if they use plastic in their cake designs. You can ask your baker to leave off the usual plastic decorations and deliver in paper boxes instead of plastic.
Naked cakes: Choose a minimalist “naked” cake made without fondant or excessive packaging. These cakes often feature fresh flowers or organic fruit, which can be composted if uneaten.
Choose a Sustainable Venue + Zero-Waste Decor
Your choice of venue can make a huge difference in its sustainability. Look for venues that provide the ambiance you’re looking for and require minimal additional decoration. Ask yourself: Is the location naturally beautiful? Does it have good lighting, with elements you love already built in? A local natural space, a spacious backyard, or a place of worship with these elements incorporated can help you prevent making waste and save money.
Then there’s decorating for both the commitment ceremony and/or the reception. Traditional decorations like balloons, plastic flowers, and disposable tableware can be a major source of pollution.
Instead, opt for decor that can be reused or composted, like:
Dried flowers: Dried bouquets, centerpieces, and flower arches are a beautiful, low-waste alternative to fresh or plastic flowers. You can also use eucalyptus sprigs or lavender bundles. These last long after the event and can be repurposed in your home as decorations or can even be added to a bath. If your heart is set on using fresh flowers, look for florists who prioritize organic farming and seasonal, locally grown flowers delivered in reusable or biodegradable packaging.
Repurposed or rented decor: Rather than buying new decor, consider renting wedding decor or reusing vintage items. Thrift stores and online marketplaces often have unique party decorations or housewares that can be used for celebrations, such as glass vases. Or, a friend or relative might have leftover decor from their celebrations of love that you can repurpose.
Solar lights and LED candles: Instead of using disposable candles or plastic lanterns, choose energy-efficient LED lights or solar-powered options for soft lighting if you’re celebrating in the evening and need to shed some light.
How to Choose Sustainable Celebration Attire
Wedding gowns and bridesmaid dresses, tuxedos, and other celebratory attire are often only wastefully worn once. Fashion is a major contributor to plastic pollution and wastefulness, and the textile industry is rife with labor abuses, including child labor, low wages, and unsafe working conditions. Consider these alternatives to reduce the environmental and social impacts of your celebration attire:
Buy secondhand or vintage: Opt for a pre-loved wedding dress or vintage gown, tuxedo, or other clothing, and have it tailored. Look for attire made of natural fibers, like cotton or linen. Both brick-and-mortar shops and online businesses may specialize in high-quality secondhand wedding and celebration attire.
Rent your celebration attire: Renting your dress or tuxedo and encouraging your bridesmaids or groomsmen to rent theirs is another sustainable option that ensures that no one ends up buying a piece of clothing they’ll never wear again.
Sustainable fabrics: If you choose to purchase new attire, look for designers who use plastic-free materials like organic bamboo, cotton, hemp, or linen; and designs you’re likely to wear more than once.
Opt for Plastic-Free Invitations (like Plantable Paper)
Invitations often come wrapped in plastic or have plastic embellishments, so look for handmade, recycled, or plantable paper and soy or other nontoxic plant-based inks when choosing yours. Digital invitations are also a sustainable option that can save money on postage, save paper, and plus, they can help you track RSVPs easily. You can create your own wedding website and digital invitations through a service like The Knot. If you prefer physical invites, look for companies specializing in eco-friendly stationery.
Plastic-Free Favor Ideas
Wedding favors are often wrapped in plastic or are sold in plastic packaging, but there are plenty of practical plastic-free alternatives:
Edible treats in reusable jars: Instead of distributing plastic-wrapped favors, give baked goods, handmade candy, local honey, or homemade jam in small glass jars. Your guests can reuse the jars once they are finished enjoying them.
Personalized cloth or stainless steel items: Custom cloth napkins, handkerchiefs, reusable tote bags, or stainless steel cups or bottles make fun reusable, plastic-free wedding favors that guests will actually use.
Plants and seeds: Give seed packets or small potted plants with native plants or edible herbs that guests can grow at home.
Soaps and candles: Consider gifting small-batch plant-based soaps or hand-made beeswax or soy candles bundled with herbs or sprigs of dried flowers for a spring touch.
Swap out disposable cameras for an eco-friendly digital version: Let your friends and family take photos directly from their phone and share them with you instead of handing out plastic disposable cameras. This digital service (POV Camera) is easy to set up and will let guests upload their photos to a shared cloud. Plus, it doesn’t require your guests to download an app.
Here’s how it works:
Commitment ceremonies and other celebrations of love can be some of the most memorable days of our lives, and with planning, you can make them plastic-free (or very close to it)! By choosing plastic-free options whenever you can for invitations, decor, favors, and food, you can celebrate your love in ways that are good for both the people and the planet—and coincidentally good for your wallet, too.
Take Action
Want to make a difference beyond having a sustainable celebration? Take our 4Rs pledge (Refuse, Reuse, Reduce, Rethink) to cut down on your plastic consumption all year round.
