Having already given you some tips on corporate Christmas gifts, it goes without saying that we'd also like to explore some tips for making your office party eco-friendly. To learn more about organizing a green Christmas party, read on!
The location
Your celebration will be remarkable and won't go unnoticed if you choose a pleasant location where your employees will feel welcome. How can you make life easier? Host the party at your office! This way, you'll also be able to control your waste more effectively. This way, you can carefully choose the food and drinks you offer. You can also use recyclable or compostable dishes and reusable decorations.
If you'd rather find a spot outside the office, opt for a local restaurant or bistro/bar. To make an informed choice, contact a few and ask them about their environmental impact—do they use reusable tablecloths and napkins? What about their recycling and composting habits?
The decorations
Christmas decorations, while beautiful and endearing, are often thrown in the trash after use. If your business has very little storage space, try purchasing multipurpose decorations. Instead of buying only Christmas-themed decorations, buy white or silver decorations that you can reuse to celebrate a special event for one of your employees. Having only one type of decoration eliminates the possibility of having multiple decorations to store, and therefore the possibility of them ending up in the trash.
If you don't have enough storage space, you can always ask each of your employees to store some of the decorations at home! Who knows, maybe the garland you need to store is the missing piece that could temporarily adorn your employee's Christmas tree!
You might also consider doing a team-building activity with your team. Several workshops are offered during the holiday season, from creating a wreath to a natural centerpiece. You'll find activities at Pepin House and the new gourmet design space The Dependence .
The invitations
While we may appreciate old-fashioned letters beautifully sealed with a delicate red wax imprint, they often end up in the trash. Instead of using paper invitations, send one via email. You can use websites like Canva or GreetingsIsland , which offer a variety of templates to choose from. While paper invitations add a special touch, on a large scale, they're several sheets of paper that will instantly be wasted for no good environmental reason.
Food and drinks
Between us, the food is often the most exciting part of a Christmas party! This year, instead of buying paper plates to serve your feast, why not invest in reusable plates and silverware? To promote the eco-friendly aspect, you can also visit a second-hand store to supplement your tableware such as Renaissance . If you no longer have a place to store these items afterward, ask each of your employees if it is possible to bring their plates and glasses for the evening or to contribute to the storage of used tableware in the office.
To avoid using single-use napkins, invest in cloth napkins. Montreal-based Objective offers a linen version available in a variety of colors. After the party, they could be given to your employees as a Christmas gift—odd and practical, you might say, but it works wonders so they can be washed and reused at the next party.
Speaking of food: A community meal is an easy and inexpensive way to host a holiday meal. As we mentioned in our article on corporate Christmas gifts, a potluck is a great way to bring your team together. Plus, since the potluck will likely be held in your office, you can invite your employees to bring reusable containers to take home leftovers; this will help prevent food waste. Try encouraging your team to cook with fair-trade and eco-friendly products and invite them to bring their leftovers in reusable containers, rather than Styrofoam or plastic ones. However, if you're not a big fan of potlucks and prefer to order from a caterer, don't forget our tips in the location section!
Games
Christmas party games: Some love them, some hate them. Still, they make the party more exciting! To stay eco-friendly, bring back old-school games! A deck of cards can work wonders, and board games you used to play as a kid can bring back fond memories. As Venuelust points out , "wrapping presents while wearing oven mitts" is fun, but only wastes paper! Opt for something fun, but also environmentally friendly. Explore local borrowing options from toy libraries or other organizations that offer free board games.
Gifts and prizes
Most of the time, door prizes or other items are given out at parties. As we explained in our article on gifts , they must be well chosen to avoid these gifts becoming a source of waste and trash. How about giving a local and sustainable product, it could be an iPad case for technology enthusiasts, or a discovery set of Quebec honey. In the same vein, if you choose to do a gift exchange, encourage your employees to buy something sustainable and eco-responsible.
Cleaning
The party's over, it's time to clean up! After throwing an eco-friendly office party, don't ruin your efforts by using toxic products. Use biodegradable products or, even better, make your own with natural products! Buy reusable microfiber cloths to wipe up spilled wine, rather than buying paper towels. Finally, be sure to provide recycling and composting bins that are easy to spot during cleanup.
On that note, happy celebrating!
Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash
The art of zero-waste hosting
Having already given you some tips on corporate Christmas gifts, it goes without saying that we'd also like to explore some tips for making your office party eco-friendly. To learn more about organizing a green Christmas party, read on!
The location
Your celebration will be remarkable and won't go unnoticed if you choose a pleasant location where your employees will feel welcome. How can you make life easier? Host the party at your office! This way, you'll also be able to control your waste more effectively. This way, you can carefully choose the food and drinks you offer. You can also use recyclable or compostable dishes and reusable decorations.
If you'd rather find a spot outside the office, opt for a local restaurant or bistro/bar. To make an informed choice, contact a few and ask them about their environmental impact—do they use reusable tablecloths and napkins? What about their recycling and composting habits?
The decorations
Christmas decorations, while beautiful and endearing, are often thrown in the trash after use. If your business has very little storage space, try purchasing multipurpose decorations. Instead of buying only Christmas-themed decorations, buy white or silver decorations that you can reuse to celebrate a special event for one of your employees. Having only one type of decoration eliminates the possibility of having multiple decorations to store, and therefore the possibility of them ending up in the trash.
If you don't have enough storage space, you can always ask each of your employees to store some of the decorations at home! Who knows, maybe the garland you need to store is the missing piece that could temporarily adorn your employee's Christmas tree!
You might also consider doing a team-building activity with your team. Several workshops are offered during the holiday season, from creating a wreath to a natural centerpiece. You'll find activities at Pepin House and the new gourmet design space The Dependence .
The invitations
While we may appreciate old-fashioned letters beautifully sealed with a delicate red wax imprint, they often end up in the trash. Instead of using paper invitations, send one via email. You can use websites like Canva or GreetingsIsland , which offer a variety of templates to choose from. While paper invitations add a special touch, on a large scale, they're several sheets of paper that will instantly be wasted for no good environmental reason.
Food and drinks
Between us, the food is often the most exciting part of a Christmas party! This year, instead of buying paper plates to serve your feast, why not invest in reusable plates and silverware? To promote the eco-friendly aspect, you can also visit a second-hand store to supplement your tableware such as Renaissance . If you no longer have a place to store these items afterward, ask each of your employees if it is possible to bring their plates and glasses for the evening or to contribute to the storage of used tableware in the office.
To avoid using single-use napkins, invest in cloth napkins. Montreal-based Objective offers a linen version available in a variety of colors. After the party, they could be given to your employees as a Christmas gift—odd and practical, you might say, but it works wonders so they can be washed and reused at the next party.
Speaking of food: A community meal is an easy and inexpensive way to host a holiday meal. As we mentioned in our article on corporate Christmas gifts, a potluck is a great way to bring your team together. Plus, since the potluck will likely be held in your office, you can invite your employees to bring reusable containers to take home leftovers; this will help prevent food waste. Try encouraging your team to cook with fair-trade and eco-friendly products and invite them to bring their leftovers in reusable containers, rather than Styrofoam or plastic ones. However, if you're not a big fan of potlucks and prefer to order from a caterer, don't forget our tips in the location section!
Games
Christmas party games: Some love them, some hate them. Still, they make the party more exciting! To stay eco-friendly, bring back old-school games! A deck of cards can work wonders, and board games you used to play as a kid can bring back fond memories. As Venuelust points out , "wrapping presents while wearing oven mitts" is fun, but only wastes paper! Opt for something fun, but also environmentally friendly. Explore local borrowing options from toy libraries or other organizations that offer free board games.
Gifts and prizes
Most of the time, door prizes or other items are given out at parties. As we explained in our article on gifts , they must be well chosen to avoid these gifts becoming a source of waste and trash. How about giving a local and sustainable product, it could be an iPad case for technology enthusiasts, or a discovery set of Quebec honey. In the same vein, if you choose to do a gift exchange, encourage your employees to buy something sustainable and eco-responsible.
Cleaning
The party's over, it's time to clean up! After throwing an eco-friendly office party, don't ruin your efforts by using toxic products. Use biodegradable products or, even better, make your own with natural products! Buy reusable microfiber cloths to wipe up spilled wine, rather than buying paper towels. Finally, be sure to provide recycling and composting bins that are easy to spot during cleanup.
On that note, happy celebrating!
Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash