Party Favors and Decorations Put in Garbage Cart Paper & Cardboard Are Recyclable Paper and cardboard materials are recyclable if there is no glitter, foil, metal charms, felt cutouts, ribbon or string. Glitter & Foil Are Not Recyclable Anything with glitter, foil, metal charms, felt cutouts and ribbon goes in the garbage. These materials will contaminate recycling and should be thrown in the garbage. Tissue Paper Is Not Recyclable Tissue paper is made out of fibers that are too short to recycle. Find out what to do with tissue paper. Ways to Reduce Choose Sustainable Decorations Try to choose decorations that are recyclable, compostable or made from recycled materials. Plain paper decorations are more eco-friendly than decorations with plastic or foil. Looking for an Eco-Friendly Confetti? Try using “ecofetti,” a biodegrable, non-toxic, water-soluble confetti made from cornstarch. Learn more at ecofetti.com. Use Nature’s Decor Instead of buying artificial decorations, use gourds, flowers, fruit, pinecones or other natural objects that are biodegradable and can be reused, eaten or donated afterward. Make Decorations From Scratch Instead of buying new decorations, make your own out of materials you would otherwise recycle or throw away. The Awesome Childhood Project has some cool ideas to get you started. Ways to Reuse Save for Your Next Party Store decorations in good condition and reuse them for later parties. Did You Know? How to Throw a Zero Waste Kid's Party Many parents are putting an end to wasteful birthday parties for their kids. A zero waste party can be fun, easy and affordable. This blog post by Meredith Tested shows you how to be less wasteful in planning your child’s next birthday party.
