News Release template – Environmentally Friendly Summer Parties

[Insert Town] – Summer fun equals sun, food, games and friends. Make your summer party environmentally friendly this year. Be sure to put out a clearly marked recycling container for guests and purchase items that are recyclable such as plastic bottles and aluminum cans. But go a little further.

“We are asking people to do a little more,” says Kelley Dennings, education and outreach project manager for the N.C. Division of Pollution Prevention and Environmental Assistance. “Not only should they be recycling cans and bottles, but we also want them to think about waste reduction and reuse also.”

[Insert town, organization, etc.] offers the following waste reduction tips:
• Instead of buying new items (i.e., a dress for a party, more chairs, etc.) consider borrowing or renting things.
• Shop at thrift stores for unique decorations.
• Compost your leftover food- it’s easy and a great fertilizer. Find more information about compost here - http://www.p2pays.org/compost/.
• When purchasing disposable plates (if you can’t use reusable ones) look for paper plates that have recycled content.
• Use reusable grocery and shopping bags and make sure to recycle the non-reusable ones.
• Use rechargeable batteries for cameras, music players, etc.
• If you have several events or parties in a short amount of time, buy food items in bulk. You will save a trip to the grocery and use less packaging.

Don’t forget to save energy at your party:
• Make sure to turn off or unplug party decorations when they are not in use.
• Be sure decorations are not placed on or obstructing air vents.
• When cooking, use your microwave oven as much as possible or plan your oven baking to avoid continuously reheating the oven.
• Use LED party lights. They use about 99 percent less energy than traditional bulbs.

Saving water is also important during your party:
• Defrost frozen items in the refrigerator, not under running water.
• Run only full loads in the washing machine and dishwater.
• When washing dishes keep washing soap usage to a minimum. It helps reduce the amount of rinse water needed.
• Don’t run the kitchen faucet continuously while washing dishes.
• Let pots and pans soak instead of letting the water run while you clean them.

For additional environmentally friendly party tips, please visit the N.C. Division of Pollution Prevention and Environmental Assistance website at: http://p2pays.org/recycleguys/generalholidaywaste.html.

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