Simple Ways to Minimize Your Wedding Footprint
I used to say “here are some great ways to waste less…” The tune has changed. It is imperative that we all work toward the goal of less waste at weddings. By no means does this mean you should have a DIY wedding, or that you need to sacrifice elegance and beauty for reused products. By tackling the biggest waste producers at weddings, we are already half way there! According to zerowaste.com, weddings of around 100-120 guests create over 400 pounds of waste including food, floral, paper, non-reusable place settings, signage and gift wrapping. This is for the wedding celebration alone. Think about each event; engagement parties, showers, rehearsal dinners, welcome parties, breakfast and lunch the morning of the wedding, the wedding itself and possibly a next day brunch. One couple is responsible for thousands of pounds of unnecessary waste both in non-reusable items as well as food and decor. We all need to simplify, simplify, simplify. This is not only good for the planet, it is good for your wedding budget and the elegance of your overall wedding design.
Creating no-waste solutions is a lot of pressure to put on a couple who is already planning their wedding, honeymoon and possibly working a job or two. Lean on your vendors to come up with solutions in their own businesses. You do not need to do this on your own! I am not a sustainability expert nor do not expect you to be. However, I see there is a giant issue with waste in the wedding industry, and am doing my best to address it at every turn:
Ask your vendors how they can help you minimize your wedding waste and footprint: Ask every vendor you book (or have your planner inquire).
Use/rent real plates, silverware, napkins and glasses. Yes, this could be a higher cost upfront but there is significantly less waste when beautiful and elegant dishes can be washed and reused. This also elevates your event significantly.
Minimize your guest list: This is a very difficult task but will benefit you in the long run.
Ditch any gift wrapping, unnecessary paper items and signage. Use a rental company who can transform a table seating display or welcome sign and use it for many weddings.
Go all out with eco-friendly confetti, minimize your paper items including ceremony programs, invitations, menus, table numbers, etc.
Can your extra food be donated? Can it be packaged up for you to consume at a later date? Can any extra food be donated to a shelter or composted?
Use only reusable glassware for the bar. Can you order kegs of beer instead of glass bottles or cans? Can your beer and wine be sourced locally? (also potentially cost saving)
Floral waste: Ask a floral professional about their sustainable practices and ask your planner or venue to donate any floral arrangements that guests do not take home with them.
Ditch anything that will only be looked at once, your budget will thank you.
Wedding party/guest favors: This is not mandatory, in fact I am seeing less and less wedding favors. If you want to gift your wedding party, wedding guests something special, make sure it is useful. Do not wrap it in a gift bag, rather set items out for them to use on the wedding day or take home and use.
And lastly, support local, uplift your community, cheer on the small business by giving them your business. (not necessarily eco friendly, but a cool thing to do.)
Finally, if you would like to calculate the carbon footprint of your wedding, use this “Wedding Footprint Calculator.”
