Start 2009 Off Right with a Green New Year’s Eve Party

If you’re planning on throwing a New Year’s Eve bash, The Daily Green has the guide you’ve been looking for that explains just how to pull off green, cheap and chic. Sent out cute e-vites, decorate creatively with recycled and re-purposed materials, set the table in style and make some delicious organic hors d’oeuvres.

Check out the first two here and then head on over to The Daily Green for the other 6!

Setting the Table

The easiest and cheapest way to get enough seating for your guests is to borrow from your neighbors (this might mean you’ll need to invite them to your party, so be prepared). If you still need more supplies, try renting them from a party supply store. You can get glasses, china and tablecloths as well. If you’re going the disposable route, try some eco-disposable options. BiodegradableStore.com has a plate made from sugarcane, an annually renewable resource. At $6.95 for a pack of 50, the price is pretty sweet too. Green Party Goods has great options for festive napkins, or take a look at Plum Party’s eco-supply section.

Invites

Keep it simple and free with an e-vite or e-card. Find “cards” at Evite or MyPunchbowl. Try Someecards if you want to get hilarious responses.

Link [The Daily Green]
Photo credit: someecards

Al Gore to Host Green Inaugural Ball

Al Gore may not be an official part of the Obama administration, but he’s going to be hosting an inaugural ball in Washington D.C. this January all the same. No, not the official inaugural ball –  a separate one called “The Green Ball: Inauguration of a New Green Economy”, to be held January 19th at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery.

From The Washington Times:

A draft version of the invitation, obtained by The Washington Times, urges people to join Mr. Gore to “bring together a diverse coalition of environmentally-forward organizations, entrepreneurs, scientists and advocates, celebrating a commitment to growing the New Green Economy.”

More than two dozen environmental organizations are listed on the invitation.

It also features a green-shaded image of Mr. Obama, along with a quote from the Democrat’s interview with Time Magazine from the fall.

“There is no better potential driver that pervades all aspects of our economy than a new energy economy. … That’s going to be my No. 1 priority when I get into office.”

And that’s not even the only “green inaugural ball” in the works.  On January 17th, Event Emissary – a DC-based event planning company – will host their own ‘Green Ball’ at the Andrew W. Mellon auditorium with organic catering, LED lighting and local floral arrangements. All food waste and flowers will be composted and the group will pay for wind power offsets and carbon credits to make the event carbon neutral. The purpose of the ball, according to Event Emissary, is to inspire the official inaugural committee to incorporate similar plans into their events.

A green collar economy is certainly something to celebrate, though – and Gore has already been discussing energy policy and how climate change efforts can create new jobs with Obama and Biden.  Can’t wait to learn more about this event.

Link [The Washington Times] via [The Huffington Post]

Green Your Office Holiday Party

Parties are already a major bane to the environment; they produce mountains of waste. Holiday parties are even worse, what with all the discarded wrapping paper and packaging. Considering the current economic conditions, many office parties will likely get scaled down this year from frou-frou corporate dinners to casual disposable tableware-laden get-togethers.

As usual, Grist.org has an excellent set of tips for making sure your company’s office party is as green as it can be.  Here are a few of our favorite pointers:

Work the pretty. When it comes to decorations, keep it simple. Buy a few plants, gather up some others from around the office — yeah, even the half-dead ones — and cluster them for an outside-in décor (just be sure you know whose desk they go back to). Ask staffers to contribute a favorite holiday item or their kids’ artwork to brighten up the scene (just be sure you know whose kid they go back to). Or use food as decoration — it’s pretty, it’s colorful, and when it all gets eaten, your Decorations Clean-Up Subcommittee will be happy. For lighting, try LED strings or candles (the non-yucky kind) — or have your party in the daytime so lights aren’t necessary.

Cut the crap. Don’t give out pewter pens or umbrellas stamped with your company logo to every staffer — it creates waste and inspires frustration. Instead, if you have that money to spare, put it into the next paycheck or a gift card. If staffers are pushing to uphold gift-giving traditions, consider a white-elephant exchange, and make it the kind where you bring an item from home, not purchase something new. And if custom dictates that you absolutely must give something to your (greedy, planet-fucking) clients, look into green options geared toward corporations (see Resources, below).

Get the rest at Grist – ‘The Frill is Gone: How to Green Your Office Party‘.

Link [Grist.org]