a MORE SUSTAINABLE NEW YEAR'S EVE
2020 was a tough year for all of us, and I’m pretty sure we are all excited for the New Year’s Eve and to see what 2021 holds for us!
This is one of my favorite holidays and, just like at Christmas, there’s a lot of waste associated with it (whether we talk about all the shopping we do, wrappings, plastic use or food waste). So, why don’t we celebrate this date in a more sustainable way?
And no, your holiday won’t turn out boring just because you will make it more sustainable! You will have the same or more fun, with less impact!
Shall we start the party?
First things first - let's prepare the menu!
Food is a big thing in any holiday and this one couldn’t be different! We all love to see a full table with amazing colors, delicious appetizers and sweet desserts! My suggestion is that this year you try to reduce your meat and fish consumption and have some plant-based dishes at the table or even a 100% vegan table.
These are some of my suggestions:
Appetizers:
- Carrots in a blanket
- Mini pizzas
- Fried Jalapenos
- A plate of hummus and guacamole to dip some sliced vegetables
- Brocolli cheese rolls
As a main dish, you can have a delicious lasagna, a quiche or a vegetable pie and you can finish the night with some brownies, fruit pies or a carrot and chocolate cake! If you still have cakes from Christmas (we all know you do), you can also place them on the table!
Try to buy the ingredients in local markets, and if you’re hosting a party for 10 people, don’t make food for 30. Food waste is crazy during these holidays! If you don’t eat everything, give some food to your guests or preserve them in the fridge or frozen after the party is over, so you can eat them later.
Decoration
When it comes to New Year’s Eve decoration, most of them involve plastic, but it doesn’t have to be that way!
Starting with the table: do not use plastic cutlery or straws! I know this makes the job easier on the next day, but you can’t recycle those items and, besides that, your table with look much better with some nice cutlery!
Also, to make your table look better, try some fabric napkins instead of paper ones! The latter ones can’t be recycled, and the fabric ones will give a nice look, and, in the end, you just have to place all of them in the washing machine! To add an extra touch decorate your napkins with lavander, rosemary or cinnamon sticks for example, the table will have an amazing smell!
You can decorate your table with some candles, use Christmas lights to place inside jars for example or even use natural elements like flowers or leaves.
As for the celebration moment, we all love to pop some confetti and let me tell you: you can easily make one at home with easy materials! Instead of using plastic pieces or glitter, there are some alternatives to confetti: shredded coconut, flowers or leaves. The tiny plastic confetti that we normally use usually end up in the waters and turn into microplastics!
As we all don’t have time for DIY’s projects, if you buy something, try to buy something less harmful for the environment that can lasts for the next years.
Clothes
We all love to dress up to New Year’s Eve and most of us love to buy something new for this occasion and that’s totally okay!
However, we should buy something not just to wear once, but that we can also wear on other occasions. If you really want something just to wear on that day, try a second-hand shop or see if you can find any swipe clothes shop near you. It would also be great to buy at a local shop or to a vegan brand for example!
These are just some of my suggestions for a more sustainable New Year’s Eve. If you have any others, let me know in the comments or share them with me on my social media below!
Share this with your friends and have a Happy New Year!
From Yours,
Patrícia Ahmad
Travelling to the Green
