How To Throw A Green Eco-Baby Shower

One of the most noticeable aspects about a baby shower is the amount of waste that is left at the end of the event.

From the plastic utensils used to eat the party food that are thrown away with little regard through to the balloons, flowers and other decorative items, baby showers are generally a way of upping a household’s carbon footprint by quite a large amount.

Eco Friendly Baby Shower Ideas

However, with some degree of preparation, there are a number of ways that a person can sidestep this issue and have a green celebration which is as eco-friendly as it fun.

Baby showers begin, of course, with invitations to the event. Without invites there would be no guests and thus no party. However, invites have traditionally been made of paper which, once read, are instantly thrown away without a second thought to the wastefulness of this action.

There are two ways to combat this – firstly look at sending out invites written exclusively on recycled paper perhaps with soy-based inks if you can a this luxury. The second option is to send out digital invites, known an “Evites”, which can take the form of an email or even a Facebook group invitation.

It is possible to personalise the invite in the same way that you would do a sent out card but without having to worry about the carbon footprint that option would entail.

Decorations at a party often constitute a great waste too – unlike Christmas decorations they are not reusable every year and are often disposed of as soon as the shower is over.

Thinking Outside Of The Eco-Box

Think perhaps of creating recycled decorations made from old papers – for example it is possible to create wonderful looking paper cranes that can be hung around the room with just a bit of time and loving preparation.

Or maybe look to see if there are any options available in the aforementioned Christmas decorations which could double up. Alternatively if you know anyone who is planning a baby shower at a similar time see if they are open to sharing decorations.

Food is also a concern. Yes, it may add to the washing up time later, but look at using actual plates, knives and forks, as opposed to their paper and plastic counterparts.

As for food – look for local produce which has not had to be shipped or flown in from a long way away; the fuel used to power planes or boats obviously takes a big toll on the environment so it is better to sidestep this if at all possible.

Local markets are good for providing locally cultivated organic food and usually constitute a much lower carbon footprint than those which have been flown in from some distance away.

So whilst the most important thing at a baby shower is to have fun it does not take much effort to also ensure that it can be done in a loving, environmentally friendly way.

AUTHOR BIO

Kieron Casey is a BA (Hons) Journalism graduate who regularly blogs about education, parenting and baby bedding. He is writing on behalf of Bed Ted.