Green Holiday Entertaining: 20 Easy Ways to Celebrate With Less Waste

Holiday parties are wonderful. They also produce a staggering amount of trash: paper plates, plastic cups, one-time-use centerpieces, half-eaten trays of food and approximately 700 tiny cocktail napkins featuring tasteful gold reindeer.

You don't have to go zero-waste to do better. You just have to waste less. Most of these 20 ideas also save you money, and a few save you work.

1. Start With What You Already Own

Open your cabinets before you open your wallet. Your everyday plates, wine glasses, platters, serving bowls and forks work for every holiday party of the season. So do the decorations already in your attic.

2. Don't Buy “Green” Replacements for Things You Already Have

A new bamboo serving set isn't greener than the perfectly good one in your cupboard. Making it, packing it and shipping it all cost something. Keep using what works until it doesn't. The greenest holiday platter is the one already sitting in your cabinet.

3. Send Digital Invitations

Email, a text or a free online invitation saves paper, postage and a trip to the mailbox, and RSVPs are easier to track. If you love sending printed invitations for a special party, go ahead. Just don't feel obligated.

4. Skip the Single-Use Party Décor

Before you buy a decoration, ask: Will I use this again next year? If the answer is no, skip it.

Decorate with things you already have or that go in the compost afterward:

•      Ornaments piled in a glass bowl

•      Fresh greenery and branches from the yard

•      Pinecones

•      Candles or flameless lights

•      Clementines, cranberries and pomegranates

•      Bare branches in a vase

To keep fresh garland and greenery looking good all season, see How to Keep Holiday Greenery Fresh.

5. Decorate With Fewer, Larger Things

Focus on four spots: the front door, the dining table, the mantel and the food table. One big centerpiece makes more of an impression than 40 tiny decorations scattered around the house, and it's a lot less to pack up in January.

A stapler doesn't need a Santa hat.

6. Use Real Dishes

7. Bring Out the Cloth Napkins

Cloth napkins are reusable, they look nicer, and they don't fall apart when someone spills gravy. They don't have to match, and you don't need napkin rings. We're not starting a linen-management apprenticeship.

No cloth napkins? Cut old flannel or cotton sheets into 16-inch squares. You don't even have to hem them.

8. Skip the Holiday-Themed Everything

Your mashed potatoes don't need a Santa-themed serving spoon. Regular serving pieces work 365 days a year. The snowman spatula works for about three weeks, then lives in a drawer for the other 49.

9. Plan the Menu Before You Shop

10. Buy in Bulk, Not in Single Servings

Individually wrapped snacks, single-serve chip bags and mini water bottles turn into a mountain of wrappers. Buy the big bag of pretzels and put it in a bowl. Buy a block of cheese and slice it. Buy nuts in bulk.

It's less packaging, less trash and almost always cheaper per serving.

11. Let Guests Bring Something Specific

12. Serve Water Without Creating a Mountain of Plastic

Fill a few pitchers or a drink dispenser with tap water, and add lemon, cucumber, mint or cranberries to make it look like an occasion. If you buy other drinks, choose big bottles or cans over single-serving ones.

Set out a marker so guests can write their names on their glasses. Fewer abandoned half-full cups means fewer dishes, too.

13. Label the Trash, Recycling and Compost

Put the trash and the recycling bin side by side, with clear labels. If you compost, add a third bin for food scraps. Check your city's recycling rules first. Most programs take rinsed cans, bottles and clean cardboard, but not greasy pizza boxes, napkins or plastic film.

When the bins are clearly marked and right next to each other, guests actually use them.

14. Make Leftovers Part of the Exit Plan

Have a stack of containers ready before the party starts, like clean takeout containers, jars and anything you've been saving. Tell regular guests to bring their own containers to take leftovers home.

Send food home with guests. That beats playing refrigerator Tetris until midnight.

15. Don't Leave Perishable Food Out Past Party Time

Keep hot food hot (140°F or above) in a slow cooker or chafing dish, and cold food cold (40°F or below) on a tray of ice.

Anything perishable that's been at room temperature for more than two hours goes in the trash. If the party's outside or the room is above 90°F, the limit is one hour. When in doubt, throw it out. Guilt about wasting food is not a good reason to keep it.

16. Give Your Leftovers a Job

Decide what the leftovers become before the party's over. Tomorrow's meals can be:

•      Turkey or ham sandwiches

•      Soup from the bones and vegetable scraps

•      French toast from leftover bread or rolls

•      Croutons or bread pudding from stale bread

•      Frittata or hash from leftover vegetables

Use cooked leftovers within 3 to 4 days, or freeze them. Without a plan, they sit in the refrigerator, waiting for a future that never comes, until it's too late to eat them anyway.

17. Wrap Gifts With What You Already Have

Reuse gift bags, boxes, tissue paper, ribbon and bows. Wrap in newspaper, kids' artwork, maps, fabric scraps or a pretty dish towel that's part of the gift.

Yes, the gift bag your Aunt Susan gave you last year can go right back to her this year. She'll recognize it. That's part of the tradition.

If you buy new wrapping paper, choose plain paper with no foil, glitter or plastic coating. The scrunch test: if a ball of it stays crumpled, it's recyclable. If it springs back open, it's not. More ideas: Eco-Friendly Gift Wrap Ideas.

18. Skip the Party Favors

Your guests are leaving with a full stomach, good memories, leftovers and at least one new story about a friend or relative. That's plenty.

If you want to send something home, make it edible: homemade cookies or a jar of spiced nuts. Not a plastic trinket that ends up in a drawer.

19. Clean With What You Already Have

Use the cleaners already under your sink before buying more, plus washable microfiber cloths instead of paper towels. Measure according to the label. More product doesn't clean better, it just leaves residue.

For a simple homemade all-purpose spray, mix 1 part white vinegar with 1 part water. Use it on glass, sinks and most counters, but not on marble, granite or other natural stone, which it etches.

Never mix cleaning products. Bleach plus ammonia makes toxic chloramine gas, and bleach plus vinegar or other acids makes chlorine gas. The bathroom can wait while you read the label.

20. Switch to LED Lights on a Timer

LED holiday lights use at least 75% less energy than old-fashioned incandescent strands, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, and they last much longer. They also run cooler, so they're safer on a tree.

Plug them into a timer so they turn off at bedtime automatically. You save energy, and nobody has to remember. When you replace old strands, take them to a holiday light recycling drop-off. Many hardware stores collect them during the season.

The Green Holiday Party Shopping Test

Before anything goes in the cart, ask:

1.     Do I already own it?

2.     Can I borrow it?

3.     Will I use it again?

4.     Do I really need it?

If you get four yeses, buy it with a clear conscience. And stay out of the seasonal aisle. That area has been professionally trained.

The 30-Minute Post-Party Green Reset

•      Minutes 1–10: Put the food away. Pack up leftovers, and toss anything that's been out more than two hours.

•      Minutes 11–15: Load the dishwasher, and soak the pots and pans.

•      Minutes 16–20: Sort the trash, recycling and compost, and take them out.

•      Minutes 21–25: Put the decorations you're keeping in one spot.

•      Minutes 26–30: Wipe the counters and tables, starting with the stickiest spots. Sticky always gets promoted.

Napkins and tablecloths can go in the wash tomorrow.

Green Holiday Entertaining Checklist

Before the party

•      Use the dishes, glasses and decorations you already own

•      Send digital invitations

•      Plan the menu and the amounts

•      Assign guests specific dishes

•      Buy in bulk, not single servings

•      Set out cloth napkins

•      Set up labeled trash, recycling and compost bins

•      Collect leftover containers

•      Run the dishwasher empty

During the party

•      Serve tap water in pitchers

•      Keep hot food at 140°F or above, and cold food at 40°F or below

•      Refrigerate perishables within two hours

After the party

•      Send leftovers home with guests

•      Plan uses for the leftovers, and eat them within 3 to 4 days

•      Wash the reusables

•      Save the gift bags, boxes and ribbon

•      Store decorations for next year

Five Green Changes That Make the Biggest Difference

1.     Use what you already own.

2.     Plan the food carefully. Food nobody eats isn't a successful backup plan.

3.     Use real dishes and cloth napkins.

4.     Skip disposable décor and party favors.

5.     Plan for leftovers before the party starts.

Green Holiday Entertaining FAQ

How can I make my holiday party more eco-friendly?

Use the dishes and decorations you already own. Plan the menu so you don't overbuy, and set out cloth napkins and real plates. Label the recycling, and send leftovers home with guests.

Are paper plates or real dishes better for the environment?

Real dishes, for almost every party. You already own them, and washing them in a full dishwasher uses less water than you'd think. For a very large crowd, use real plates for the main meal and recycled paper plates for dessert.

How long can food sit out at a party?

No more than two hours at room temperature, or one hour if it's above 90°F. Keep hot foods at 140°F or above and cold foods at 40°F or below.

Is wrapping paper recyclable?

Plain paper usually is. Foil, glitter and plastic-coated paper usually isn't. Do the scrunch test: if a ball of paper stays crumpled, recycle it.

Keep the House Party-Ready

The Daily Home Reset gives you a 15-minute daily routine so the house is ready for company (and you're not panic-buying paper plates the morning of the party).

And when the holidays are over, Room by Room helps you clear out the decorations and dishes you never use, one room at a time.

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The Bottom Line

Green holiday entertaining isn't about perfection. It's about using what you have, buying only what you need, planning the food, and sending the leftovers home instead of to the trash.

You'll throw away less, spend less and have a lot less to clean up. And don't buy an object simply because someone printed a snowflake on it.

Keep Going

The party's planned. Keep the whole season greener and easier with these related guides:

•      25 Easy Christmas Tips: Simplify gifts, decorating, dinner and guests.

•      Preparing for Holiday Entertaining: Get the house and the menu ready for company.

•      Easy Holiday Cleaning Tips: Get guest-ready without cleaning every corner.

•      After-Holiday Green Cleaning: Get your house back after the party without the waste.

•      Eco-Friendly Gift Wrap Ideas: Beautiful wrapping that doesn't end up in the trash.

•      How to Keep Holiday Greenery Fresh: Make fresh garland and wreaths last all season.

•      Green Home Cleaning Products: What you need to know before you buy.

•      Green Clean & Save: My complete guide to cleaning your home safely and cheaply.