This is Samir’s first entry in the series “Grist dared me to make a change.” Read other entries in this series. And support his dare with a gift to Grist!
Parties: Getting wasted, making wasteCourtesy of Wissotzky via FlickrI’m a college student, so partying comes naturally to me. The eco-dare that I’m taking on is a “green party” on July 30 that aims to generate as little waste and use as little energy as possible.
The food and drinks will be locally grown or brewed (and hopefully all organic). Attendees will either walk, bike, or take public transportation to get to the party. Candles and natural sunlight will be the only sources of light for the festivities. All of the accessories and utensils must be able to be recycled or be reused.
I’m sure this list will only grow as I fully delve into party preparations! Maybe we’ll invent an eco-themed drinking game. All music will come from instruments brought by my guests, or whatever we can bang together.
The hardest part of this challenge, I suspect, will be to figure out how to avoid creating waste while still having plenty of food. I don’t want people to go home hungry but I also don’t want an overabundance of food. If there’s too much food to eat in one sitting, the leftovers are likely to end up in the trash.
Knowing that Grist readers are counting on me undoubtedly creates pressure, but more so a tremendous motivating factor. I hope this eco-dare will shed light on how to have a fabulous time while still being environmentally conscious.
Donate to Grist in support of my dare. I really can’t wait to wait to show Grist and its readers how much fun this party will be!
