How are you celebrating the Platinum Jubilee? Whether you are hosting a street party, BBQing with friends, or just enjoying the extra two days off work (thanks Queenie!), here are some top tips for enjoying the Jubilee weekend whilst keeping our carbon and environmental footprint down.
- Go Big on Bunting
You can’t have a party without decorations but don’t get sucked in to buying loads of brightly coloured plastic tat. If we think a 70-year reign is a long time, a plastic cup will take over 500 years to break down in landfill! Don’t do it!
Whilst balloons are always the ‘go to’ event decoration, there are so many more beautiful ways to jazz up your event space without the negative impacts. Paper lanterns, garlands and pompoms as well as naturally foraged floristry all look stunning!
And no jubilee celebration would be complete without a serious amount of bunting – fabric bunting looks amazing and will last for future events – if you’re feeling particularly creative, make your own from old sheets, clothes or tea towels!
- Borrow instead of Buy
Rarely do we have a need for miles of gingham tablecloths or red, white and blue picnic blankets, so before buying brand new, see if you can borrow anything you are missing from friends, family or your wider community. If you are really struggling, have a look in your local charity shop, they might just have a tea set or cake stand from the last jubilee!
- Re-Use or Rent
Whether its plates, cups or cutlery, stay clear of anything single use even those claiming to be ‘compostable’ – unless you have an industrial composter in your back garden, chances are these will take as long as plastic to degrade. Keep it simple and use your normal / real plates and glasses, or if you are venturing out to a picnic or street party, consider hiring a reusable party pack that includes cutlery, cups and plates that you use, clean and return – easy!
- Kegs and cans
I am sure we will all be raising a few glasses over the weekend but opt for cans over bottles. Drink beer? Buy a keg from your local brewery, once empty you can return it to be re-used – if you ask everyone to bring their own glass or tankard if even saves on your washing up!
- Plant Power
One of the most effective things an individual can do to lower their carbon footprint is to avoid all animal products, so when it comes to your menu choices at your jubilee event, try and lead with a plant-based menu if you can. Think beetroot houmous, black bean burgers and vegan chocolate cake! Delish! If you can serve locally sourced, seasonal produce, even better!
- Waste not, want not
We need to rethink what we think of as ‘waste’ – remember one (wo)man’s trash is another (wo)man’s treasure! Firstly, reduce the ‘waste’ you create in the first place and then try to re-use or re-purpose materials before you recycle it to divert as much as possible from landfill. At your event, the best thing is to have separate, bins or boxes aligned to your kerbside recycling systems – i.e. glass, metal, paper, cardboard etc and make them really well labelled so people know exactly what can and can’t go in each. Try to compost your food waste too!
- Food Glorious Food
1/3 of food served at an event is thrown away – 70% of which is actually consumable so don’t go overboard on the vegan sausage rolls! Cater for the number of people you have coming to your party (not the whole street!) – unless it’s a street party in which case, make sure they all get eaten! Send people home with leftover food or take a look at food redistribution apps like Olio or Too Good to Go so good food isn’t wasted.
- Travel Green
Nobody wants to drive over Jubilee weekend, you want to relax, so look at how you can get to your event by public transport, or if you are staying local, you may even be able to cycle or walk to your event. Going to be in London? Try out the new Elizabeth line and travel in style for a fraction of the emissions.
- Love Local
Whether its food or flowers, musicians or magicians, whatever you need to make your jubilee celebration a success, invest in local businesses and support your high street. You will be giving the local economy a well needed boost and keeping food miles and carbon footprints down.
- Plant a Tree for the Jubilee
One last way to honour The Queen’s 70 years of Service to the Nation is to plant a tree as part of the Queen’s Green Canopy. Whether you are an individual planting a sapling in your garden, or part of a community or business wanting to plant a whole woodland, we can all do our bit and pin our trees to the Queen’s Green Canopy map. Click Here for more information on how to get involved
With a few simple switches, you can have a fabulous Jubilee weekend and do it all without the guilt of damaging the environment. We would love to know how you are celebrating and which of these tips you will be trying.
Let us know how you are going green and making your event fit for a queen!