As there’s always a reason to celebrate, parties remain a steadfast fixture of corporate and community engagement. And not to be a party pooper, but the post-party reality of scattered plastic cups, soon-to-be-disposed-of décor and half-full sandwich trays is anything but a cause for celebration – especially for the planet.

Bloomin Promotions (asi/40646) offers confetti made from seed paper (PGKR-CGP-HEW), among other sustainable products.

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Many sustainable substitutions exist for party needs, as the promo industry continues to expand its eco-friendly offerings. From seed paper confetti to coasters made of recycled chopsticks and multi-use mugs, avenues for change have never been so accessible, according to promo professional Andrew Haslam.

An account executive for Massachusetts-based Grossman Marketing Group (asi/215205), Haslam recently planned his engagement party using his promo expertise. For the party favor, he chose a sustainable option: commemorative metal cups.

“At a glance, you look at one of these imported metal cups, and maybe on paper it doesn’t seem like the most eco-friendly item when you’re looking at these other items that are organic, cotton, recycled plastic and all that,” Haslam says. “But at the end of the day, I feel like an item like that metal cup is a sustainable item … people are actually going to use it.”

Although he says he integrated sustainable products unintentionally, he finds it “really easy” to source eco-friendly products for a party.

“The market’s going to keep developing, and more of these products are going to come out,” Haslam says. “I see it today. A lot of these promo suppliers, they’re just switching their full plastic lines to rPET (recycled plastic) because the costs have gotten so similar.”

Andrew Haslam of Grossman Marketing Group (asi/215205) had custom-engraved reusable metal Solo-style cups as favors at his engagement party, helping to remove the need for disposable cups at the celebration.

Eliminating single-use items like cups and plates is one of the easiest ways to throw a party sustainably, according to Gia Machlin, president and CEO of EcoPlum (asi/185835), a New York City-based B Corp distributor that has a Silver rating from EcoVadis. As a starting point, she recommends using reusable mugs and cups, napkins, tablecloths and utensil sets.

And when packaging up leftovers (although she advises to not over-purchase food), Machlin suggests beeswax wrap. Alongside its general creation of waste, plastic wrap has been found to release dioxin, a known human carcinogen, when broken down in landfills and other waste facilities. Beeswax wraps, on the other hand, are both reusable and biodegradable.

Machlin also recommends garden kits as environmental party favors and paper lanterns for reusable decorations.

Herb garden kits (100712), like this one from Modern Sprout, available in the promo industry from Gemline (asi/56070), are an environmentally friendly party-favor option.

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“I would love if people would buy things that truly replace single-use or that are diverting waste from landfills,” Machlin says.

Bloomin Promotions (asi/40646), another B Corp, offers products that do just that, with an array of seed paper products, including greeting cards and confetti. When the item’s useful lifetime is over, it can be discarded outdoors to later sprout plants.

Seed paper offers a “dual value proposition” since it contains perennial seeds, says Don Martin, president of the Boulder, CO-based supplier.

“Not only is it sustainable, but it is a recurring gift that you can send somebody,” Martin says. “And instead of them just throwing it away, they can actually plant it in the ground. The product will come back year after year.”

An addition to options for holidays like Earth Day seed bombs, Bloomin offers party products like save the dates, confetti packs and drink coasters. Sustainable party décor and favors have been a hit for companies looking to align their environmental goals with their events, Martin adds.

“So many companies are really wanting their brand to be represented in such a way that’s truly responsible and sustainable,” Martin shares. “They don’t want to put their brand on something that is just going to end up in the landfill. They want to walk the walk with whatever their own environmental initiatives are.”

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