by The Paper Party Bag Shop

Party Plates

Don’t assume that the paper plates and cups you’ve bought will be recyclable. Are they coated with plastic or covered in gold and silver? Papers coated with plastic or aluminium foil are usually not recycled because the process is too expensive so why not source some bamboo or palm leaf alternatives (we love the range from www.theprettylittepartyshop.co.uk), or better still – use plates and cups that can be washed and used over and over again!

Balloons

Sadly, foil balloons are not recyclable. A great suggestion from Sum of All Parties ‘Foil balloons can be deflated and re-used. If you opt for the first letter for your child’s name or  (rather than a number one) it can be stored and reused year after year. If you opt for a plain or simple happy birthday one it can be used for every birthday in your house and even passed between friends for their children’s birthdays.’ (www.instagram.com/sumofallparties / sumofallparties.wordpress.com )

Party Bags

Give yourself time to plan these so you don’t have to panic buy the plastic, one-use toys that break so easily and which kids lose interest in after 2 minutes! If you have lots of time you could make felt masks in a superhero/woodland/other theme, with the aid of pinterest & a sewing machine or fabric glue – get creative! If you have less time you could pick up a pack of seeds from the local garden centre, or a book. And if you have even less time or don’t want the faff, come and visit us – your online, eco-friendly party bag Super Heroes.

Activities

Now, I’m not going to suggest donning the rubber gloves and a litter picker – perhaps not the best fun for a kids party, I’m sure almost all activities are safe from hurting the planet! But a green fingered activity could also double up as a party bag – little ones could plant a seed into a biodegradable pot with some soil and then take it home. Or perhaps you could create a scavenger hunt in a garden using the natural habitat, or a game of bird bingo’ which could teach the little ones some bird names too.

Decor

There are a great range of paper garlands and bunting as opposed to the plastic ones. Paper pompoms are simple to make and you can adapt the sizes to suit, or the colours to match your colour schemes. Pompoms are also fun to use as cake toppers – just keep the candles at a very safe distance away from them!

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Before the birth of her two daughters, Liz worked in both the advertising and the music industry. As her children grew she was amazed that there wasn’t an easy solution to eco-friendly party bag fillers. In recent years she saw that party bags had become the number one must-have item at kids birthday parties. A recent poll run in The Times found the average spend has increased to a minimum of £40 per party; while at the same time, there has been a drive for people to show awareness around waste and a desire for party items to feel more personal and hand-picked.

So she set about creating her own eco-friendly solution. When she went to source stock she found that even the paper toys were wrapped in plastic, thinking about that in bulk was devastating for her. She realised that in order to have toys she was happy with she would have to make them herself. Being creative was something she was very excited about and she added a new product each week for a year. She now has suppliers who support her values and she is always looking for more.

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