An imperfectly sustainable party

for the planet and the heart

“The problem is not slipping up; the problem is thinking that if you can’t do something perfectly, then you shouldn’t do it at all.”  

James Clear, Atomic Habits

This won’t be the first time I write that living sustainably is an exercise in imperfection. Some days it feels like one step forward, two steps back. To be fair, there is no one “sustainable way” to do things, no single answer as to what sustainable living looks like.

Just as each of us are unique, our habits and routines in daily life are unique. How to drive less, or limit the plastic we bring home, or eat lower on the food chain touch on just a few of the impactful routines that can – and should – be considered if we are going to make sustainable changes. But no one can tell each of us exactly how to do it. We have different routes to travel with different time constraints. We have varying access to bulk food options and refill stations. We have picky eaters in the family! We have to be realistic. And yet, it continues to nag at the back of my mind, how can I do my part?

Doing my part at party time

This question came up frequently while planning my daughter’s confirmation celebration. After over two years of pandemic restrictions, in which many parties were cancelled or celebrated with only the immediate family and having just been through our own household’s Covid infection (fortunately mild and before the confirmation), we were ready and excited to host family and friends at our house. We needed this mentally on so many levels, yet, for a gathering of approximately thirty people, we wanted to limit the amount of waste and unnecessary plastic, not to mention stick to our budget.

Here are some ways that sustainability factored into our event:

• Buy nothing: We borrowed plates, glasses, coffee cups, and things I didn’t know I needed, from a neighbor. The best part of borrowing was that our neighbor could share with us and have a part in making it a great day. It doesn’t get more neighborly than that!

• Energy consciousness #1: Instead of our guests driving to a restaurant, we had the food come to us and catered a Swabian specialty from a local business.

• Energy consciousness #2: Nearly half of our guests came by train from other parts of Germany!

• Feasting lower on the food chain: Traditional Maultaschen have meat in them, but meanwhile there are many creative fillings. We opted for 2/3 veggie and ironically, of the leftovers, about half were meat. We weren’t wanting to impose our primarily plant-based eating habits on our guests, but never underestimate people’s willingness to try.

• No food goes to waste: Maultaschen are great for leftovers, too, meaning we literally had no food waste.

• Thirst-quenching solutions: Sodas, beer, wine, and sparkling water in glass only.

• Use what we have: We lucked out with great weather and set up tables in our backyard (also loaners) to enjoy the outdoor setting. Potted flowers decked the tables and we can enjoy them through the summer.

Imperfection is the name of the game

I could just not mention the less sustainable aspects, but this is about imperfection! I still have a stack of packaged snack foods in the basement and enough paper napkins for several kids’ birthday parties. We opted to rent a car share for a couple hours to pick up crates of beverages rather than make 10+ awkward and precarious trips by bike.

As we don’t throw parties every week, I won’t be building any lasting habits for my party planning process. However, our more sustainable daily routines and habits influenced our decisions so that it was much easier to keep our carbon footprint low even on a special occasion. It was an imperfectly sustainable party, but turned out to be a perfect celebration!

I would love to hear in the comments what experiences have you made with sustainable celebrations.