The issue of plastic has now become one of the most important in the fight to protect the planet from the damage that humanity has done. While you may not consider that removing plastic from your wedding will have much impact, but most people are unaware of just how much plastic will be used on their wedding day. Here are a few tips to help you to get your day free of single-use plastic.
Décor
Look at the items that you are going to use in your décor. Any balloons or signage could be made from plastic and unless you intend to rent or borrow them from someone else, most of your décor might only be used once and then thrown away. Avoid balloons and opt for sustainable materials such as wood and fabric to create the items that you need for your décor.
Catering
Talk to your caterers and the venue about avoiding single use plastic when it comes to the food and drink for your reception. The first thing that needs to go is drinking straws. Most people like to have these in their drink but there are recyclable straws available. Simple things such as coffee stirrers can be replaced with spoons – it might create a little more cleaning up but it is definitely the eco-friendly option. You should also make sure that any bottled water or other drinks that are available at your reception are in glass bottles.
You should also talk to them and your venue about making sure that the table cloths and napkins are actually cloth. Some will use disposable versions and while these might look okay, they are not as sustainable or as elegant as the real thing, so why bother with them?
Flowers
Believe it or not there are still people who do not seem to mind having fake flowers at their wedding. Most of the time these are not going to be used again so it is just a waste. If you are considering avoiding real flowers because of allergies, look at alternatives such as greenery from potted plants, ivy or berries for decoration. Consider herbs such as lavender in glass vases as centerpieces – not only do they look great they will naturally fragrance the whole room.
Cameras
Most people will capture images of the event on their phone these days but there are still weddings where disposable cameras are made available for the use of guests. These count as single-use plastics and they are not really needed any more so avoid where possible.
Removing all single-use plastics from your wedding day is easier than it sounds but it does require some careful planning and a bit of negotiation with the venue that you are using. Make them aware in advance that you want your wedding to be as eco-friendly as possible and there is no reason why you should not be able to achieve it.