Hey earth muffins! May is just around the corner, which is extra special to me since it is my birth month! I will be turning 26 this year… In honor of my birthday, I thought it would be fun to share 26 lessons I’ve learned about sustainable living. From small little things to big life lessons, there is so much to learn by reducing your impact on the planet. Here’s what I’ve learned by living a sustainable lifestyle:
Hey earth muffins! My boyfriend’s 25th birthday is just around the corner, so I thought it would be fun to write a themed birthday post today. 😍 I wrote a whole post about how to celebrate a zero waste birthday last year; but, I wanted to focus on a zero waste party today. Parties are super fun and a great way to celebrate your loved one – and they can definitely be eco-friendly too! Here are my top tips for throwing the coolest zero waste party this year!
As a kid, I remember getting invitations in the mail for birthday parties. While I personally love getting something special in the mail, you don’t have to use paper invitations anymore. Instead, try electronic alternatives! There are tons of great websites that allow you to send invites. If you don’t want to be limited by their designs, use sites like Canva to create your own and email it out to friends. You could also start a group on Facebook that invites everyone. This is a great way to mass send all the details for the party! Paper invites are usually thrown in the trash, so definitely choose electronic instead.
Read More ➥Hey earth muffins! I recently posted about the 5 things I am glad I did before turning 24… As my birthday month comes to a close, I thought I should write a post about celebrating a sustainable birthday. It seems that for every major holiday I share my tips with you all, and, honestly, your birthday is one of the biggest days of the year! So, it is crucial to make sure you still treat the planet right on your special day. 🎂 Here are some of my favorite tips for celebrating an awesome, zero waste birthday!
Birthday parties create a lot of unneccesary waste. From streamers to balloons, most people toss everything into the trash after the celebration is over. But, it doesn’t have to be that way! I suggest checking your local thrift stores (and Facebook Marketplace) for secondhand birthday items. You might even find some brand new items that were extras from another party in the area! If your secondhand options are limited, be conscious about your decorations. Instead of helium balloons, purchase foil balloons. These are blown up with a straw and can be deflated and reused for years to come (peep my reusable birthday balloons (affiliate link) in the photo above!). Use streamers that can either be recycled or rolled back up after the festivities die down. Having one set of birthday items allows you to use them for other birthday celebrations too!
If your loved ones ask for gift suggestions near your birthday, tell them that you would rather be gifted an experience instead! These are better for making memories anyway; plus, they save from having to use pesky wrapping paper. If your family or friends must get you a present, give them a list of some eco-friendly products that are on your wishlist. Also recommend that they use sustainable wrapping methods. This can be reused packing materials, reusable cloth wrapping paper, or even delivering an e-gift card. A perfect zero waste birthday tip!
Having some sort of cake on your birthday is a must. Support local and buy a cake from a bakery in your area! This prevents you from buying a cake at a grocery store that is often heavily wrapped in plastic packaging. It also supports a local business during these challenging times. If you are wanting to be even more sustainable, try baking your own cake from ingredients sourced from bulk bins or eco-friendly packaging. For those who aren’t cake lovers, you can opt for cupcakes and use reusable silicone liners like the ones I recently purchased (affiliate link). Such a great way to be green in the kitchen!
I recently wrote a post comparing soy and paraffin wax candles. When it comes to a birthday, you can’t have cake without singing and candles. But, many birthday candles contain paraffin wax and plastics. Probably not the best when it drips on the cake you are about to eat! To make your zero waste birthday extra special, buy some plastic-free and/or soy wax candles for your tasty cake. And, use a rechargeable USB lighter (like one from the USB Lighter Company) to light them up. These lighters are awesome because they can never run out of lighter fluid! 🎉
There are so many ways to make your birthday awesome AND sustainable. I personally think thrifting decorations is my favorite tip because you can find so many funky things secondhand. This is perfect for themed parties too once Mister Corona decides to leave us all alone! Instead of wrapped gifts, opt for experiences or e-gift cards. Support local and use eco-friendly candles/a lighter when it comes to your birthday cake. As long as you are thinking about how your birthday is impacting Mother Earth (and then acting in an eco-friendly way), your birthday is going to amazing! 🥳
Love,
Jenna ♥
