Food, Drink And Decoration Tips For A More Eco-Friendly Pride Party

Forbes

5 hours ago

If you're hosting a Pride party at your house, one easy way to make your celebrations more ... More sustainable is to set the table with glass cups and paper straws, rather than single-use plastics.
We gather together during Pride Month every June to celebrate love and care for our community. This year, it's time that sentiment extends to include not only people, but the planet, too—which can be as easy as integrating a few of these eco-friendly Pride party tips.
From small private parties to sprawling public parades, Pride celebrations can take many forms and—as with any communal festivities—they usually involve some snacks, drinks and decorations. Though these things can be a source of joy, unfortunately, they can also have negative environmental impacts that long outlast our celebrations.
This holiday comes with a proliferation of single-use plastics—from water bottles and balloons to cocktail straws and bags of rainbow sprinkles—some of which can take up to 500 years to break down and may never completely decompose, as reported by the United Nations.
However you're celebrating Pride Month this year, here are some simple ways to show your love for the LQBTQ+ community and the planet we all share.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Organization, which has tracked weather patterns for 175 years, reported June 2024 as the warmest June on record for the globe, and the World Meteorological Organization predicts 'above-normal temperatures for nearly all land areas' in June 2025. So, staying hydrated this Pride Month is important, especially for those of us experiencing summer in the northern hemisphere.
If there's one thing you do to prepare for this year's festivities while minimizing your environmental impact, let it be this: Bring your own reusable water bottle. Beside the fact that a plastic water bottle takes hundreds of years to degrade, the energy used to produce, transport and dispose of these bottles also has consequences for the quality of our air and water, according to the National Institutes of Health. Instead, opt for a reusable bottle, like this one from the Human Rights Campaign, a nonprofit that supports LGBTQ+ rights.
When you're looking to drink something a little stronger, reusable cups are the way to go. If you're hosting or attending an at-home party, mason jars are an easy and affordable option. However, if glass isn't advisable for safety reasons, choose paper over plastic and keep an eye out for sustainability labels, like the Forest Stewardship Council, which 'ensures that products come from responsibly managed forests'—including these colorful cups.
Lastly, when it comes to sustainable sipping, skip the straw, unless you need it for medical reasons. If your cocktail simply wouldn't be complete without one, stock up beforehand on reusable straws, like these.
When baking for Pride, opt for food dyes and rainbow sprinkles made with natural colors, like those ... More of Color Kitchen.
Many of the sustainability practices for drinking can also be applied to eating. If you don't have enough plates and utensils at your house to accommodate all of your guests, you can find extras for a decent price at a secondhand shop—though this can be challenging afterward if you have limited storage space or you're hosting an event in a public space, like a park. When single-use is the best option for your gathering, be sure to choose compostable tableware, like these, which can biodegrade in just a few days.
Most paper napkins, such as these festive ones, can be composted, but consider getting reusable towels for cleaning up, or washable napkins to elevate your tablescape.
This time of year, bakery displays are brightened by an abundance of rainbow treats, but food dyes and the containers they come in—both of which may be made of petroleum-based chemicals—can have dark consequences for the environment, as synthetic dyes and plastics can contaminate our soil and waterways through their manufacturing and disposal, according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information. If you're baking something special for Pride Month, check out Color Kitchen. Its rainbow food dyes and sprinkles are vegan, gluten-free and made with plant-based materials. (The sprinkles also come in home-compostable packaging.)
For kitchen composting convenience, pick up your own composting bin and compostable trash bags in advance of your party so that you're prepared for a quick and planet-conscious cleanup.
At your Pride party, avoid plastics decorations, like balloons, and opt for paper products instead, ... More such as rainbow streamers from Bonjour Fête.
Delightful as they may be for a day, balloons can take years to decompose, during which time they pollute our environment and pose a threat to wildlife. This Pride, add color and whimsy to your celebratory setting with biodegradable crepe paper streamers instead—extra points for selecting FSC-certified ones, like these.
It wouldn't be Pride Month without rainbow flags. Consider buying yours from Flags for Good, which uses minimal packaging during the shipping process and donates a portion of sales to organizations that advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, such as GLAAD and The Trevor Project.
While you might not be able to try all of these eco-friendly Pride party tips this year, keep in mind that every small gesture has a big impact—which is all the more reason to celebrate!