Tips for a Sustainable Birthday Celebration

Birthday celebrations happily come around every year. While we should celebrate every day, our birthdays are often a time where we gather in larger groups, invite people over, and have parties for our kids. It's often a time to indulge and consume but we can do so while being gentler on the planet. It’s easy (and trendy) to simplify and do more of a good thing. If it’s a kid’s birthday celebration, you are also setting a good example for them and inspiring other kids and their parents too.

Great ideas for celebrating more sustainably 

Here are some smart party tools and tips—hopefully they will also stir up some ideas of your own for your next eco-happy, super fun, and most impressive event from start to finish, no matter the milestone you are celebrating.

Make a wish...

…and blow them away! Use organic soy or domestically made beeswax candles like Honey Candles in your cake, which, unlike petroleum-based candles, won’t emit toxic fumes and black clouds (and check to make sure the wicks are lead and zinc free). purebeeswaxcandles.com

Munch better

Choose to serve organic packaged snacks made by kind companies like Hippeas. These crunchy “cheesy” puffs are allergy-friendly, certified organic, gluten-free, and vegan. Parents love that they are made from organic chickpeas, and kids love that they’re delicious. hippeas.com

Sweeten the pot

If you are doing a sweet table, an assortment of cookies, squares, and fruit are all great, easy to serve, real food options. Treats from the Earth baked goods are always vegan and free from refined sugar, and specific treats are made in a certified nut-free bakery, perfect for hosting guests with allergies and bringing to classroom parties! Also great for loot bags! treatsfromtheearth.com

Scream for healthier ice cream

Made with simple, pure ingredients, Coconut Bliss ice cream is dairy-free, vegan, certified organic, gluten-free, and soy-free. With flavours like Chocolate Chip Cookie, Summer Berry Swirl, Mint Galactica, and ice cream bars and sandwiches, this is sure to make your party a big hit. coconutbliss.com

Bake a cake

Bake your own cake or use an organic cake mix like this one by Miss Jones—it’s vegan and has no artificial colors or flavours. This moist and fluffy vanilla cake mix is perfect for sheet cake, layered cakes, cupcakes, and is allergy friendly!  missjones.co

Frost it well

Frosting makes everything more fun. Sure, it's sugary and you could make your own banana-based icing, but Wholesome's out-of-the-container frosting is smooth, spreadable, and delicious with no high fructose corn syrup or artificial colors… and Non-GMO Project Verified, Fair Trade Certified, gluten free, kosher, and vegan! wholesomesweet.com

Eco-friendly party fun

Get creative and encourage play with all natural, non-toxic, eco-friendly art supplies from eco-kids. From face paints and finger paints to sidewalk paints and beeswax crayons, there’s no limit to where your imagination can take you! ecokidsusa.com

Favourable favours

Give out a party favour that keeps on giving! Your guests can plant Botanical Paperworks eco-friendly seed bombs and watch beautiful wildflowers and herbs sprout in their home gardens. botanicalpaperworks.com

Reusable dishes

Reduce your party waste significantly and save money with your own dishware or this colourful Preserve On The Go party set. These reusable small plates, large plates, cups, and cutlery are all made of 100% recycled plastic. This set is lightweight, durable, dishwasher safe, and is made to withstand hundreds of uses/many years of birthday parties!  preserve.eco

WAIT! We're not done yet!

A few more great ideas to make your birthday celebration a sustainable and mindful gift giving opportunity!

Paperless invites 

Skip the printed paper cards and save trees. Paperless Post’s emailed invites allow you to share customized designs, be clever, and communicate a theme. Think about how much time you’ll save (and the stamps and envelope licking) and that you can actually have RSVPs conveniently logged online! paperlesspost.com

Give back

Do we really need or have the space for more toys? Gifted is the meaningful way to ask for cash gifts. It’s a complete management system that allows you to send e-invitations to your guests, tracks RSVPs, and manage a cash registry where you can give back any portion to a charity of your choice! thisisgifted.com

Make it a banner year

There is no reason to throw out your decorations when you are going to be celebrating again in a year! Save your money, time, and cut back on all the party waste by choosing party décor you love that you can use over and over again! I can always find the most creative and fun options like birthday banners made by hand with love on Etsy. Simple or fancy, find what you like and create family traditions using them for joy year after year! etsy.com

Give good loot 

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: SIMPLIFY! Try giving each guest a coloring book, puzzle, or stickers printed on FSC-certified paper like these from Petit Collage! Stay away from the packaging unless it’s reusable—think of where that goes immediately after it’s unwrapped! petitcollage.com