Week #38 Mindful parties

Parties and celebrations are about having a good time and getting together with friends and family. But often at the parties, when you look around, it's all about plastic. Plastic utensils, bags, straws, cups or presents wrapped in plastic. And what would be the celebration without a great decoration - balloons, confetti and glitters.

Balloons
Balloons may look nice, but they have a number of environmental concerns associated with them.

What goes up must come down.  Balloons kill countless animals and cause dangerous power outages. They can travel thousands of miles and pollute the most remote and pristine places. Although latex balloons are considered bio-degradable, this will take anywhere from 6 months to 4 years to decompose and they can wreak a lot of havoc before they do (source). 

Confetti
This is the story itself. Many venues actually start to ban using confetti over the parties. They are not only hard to clean up but also how damaging it can be to the natural environment. 

Glitters
Getting that metallic shine usually involves some type of aluminium (metal) or, for some finishes, even a PET material. Tiny particles spread everywhere and you will never get rid of them.

A celebration should be about the family and friend gathering rather than the decoration. If you want to make it as beautiful as possible reach for the eco-friendly alternatives.